Tuesday is New Year’s Eve! And it’s also Election Day. Here is your voter guide

In Richland 1’s New Year’s Eve election, every vote is going to count.

That’s because as of Monday morning, 1,449 people have voted early or by mail, according to Terry Graham, Richland County’s interim director of elections.

What’s at stake: Not only will this person shape policies that affect the district’s 23,386 students, the district has a $323 million budget, which grows every year, budget documents show. That means that in a school board member’s four-year term, the board will have a say in how more than $1 billion in taxpayer money is spent.

The winner Tuesday will fill the remaining 11 months of Darrell Black’s term, who resigned in September to accept a job in Nebraska. To continue in office, the winner would have to re-file for a full four-year term in August 2020, Graham said.

Given the date of the election, Richland County has struggled to find enough poll workers, according to a previous article from The State. To sweeten the pot, Richland County has spent around $6,000 paying poll workers an extra $15 per person, Graham said.

Because of the poll worker shortage, some of the precincts have been consolidated. In order to find out where to vote, go to SCvotes.org or call the county elections office at 803-576-2240 to see if your precinct has been affected.

Since The State’s initial candidate profiles were published earlier this month, candidates have racked up endorsements and new information has come to light. As voters prepare to head to the polls, here is a recap of what you need to know about each candidate.

Candidates have been listed in reverse-alphabetical order by last name.

ASHLYE V. WILKERSON

Wilkerson is an educator, an author and a small business owner. Her vision for the district is wide-ranging and includes improving teacher support, partnering with colleges — namely Allen University and Benedict College — improving mental health care access, boosting school safety and boosting lower-performing schools in the district.

Wilkerson is also the only candidate to have both graduated from, and taught in, Richland 1, she said.

“It’s one thing to know what teachers throughout the country are going for,” Wilkerson said.

“I know what our teachers are going through,” she said.

Endorsements: Wilkerson has racked up the highest-profile endorsements of any of the five candidates. That list includes Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, former Gov. Jim Hodges, S.C. Sen John Scott and S.C. Rep. Todd Rutherford. They, along with many of her other of her high-profile backers, are Democrats. While Wilkerson has touted that as a plus, some voters have complained the endorsements politicize a non-partisan race.

“Why should I or any other stakeholder feel impressed by endorsements from others who should not be interjecting the appearance of political endorsements into a nonpartisan elected position?” asked Frances Gaillard Parker on Facebook.

Wilkerson responded to those concerns by saying the “supporters are people who have known me most of my life.”

Children in the district: Wilkerson’s two children, three and five years old, do not attend school in Richland 1. That’s because Wilkerson started both of her children in school when they were 1 year old and Richland 1 does not have programs for children that young, Wilkerson told The State. Though both of her children are old enough for Richland 1’s pre-kindergarten programs, Wilkerson did not want to transfer her children out of their private school programs.

“We felt it was best to keep consistency,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said both of her children will attend Richland 1 schools.

Rev. JOHNNY RAY NOBLE

Noble, a pastor at Second Nazareth Baptist Church, wants to bring an outside perspective to Richland 1. As a Texas native and retired Army Captain, who taught in Louisiana and Texas, Noble wants to focus on improving student achievement, teacher retention and fiscal accountability, he told The State.

Roughly 30 Richland 1 students attend Second Nazareth Church, giving him a unique perspective on the spiritual concerns students are facing, Noble said.

Endorsements: Noble said he did not want to share the names of those who have endorsed his candidacy because he feels it is unimportant to the election.

“It’s not about some name endorsing me. That’s not what this election is about,” Noble said. “It’s about what I stand for.”

Assault charge: Noble faced an assault charge from a year ago, in which he was accused of pushing a woman. Noble, who said he did not push the woman, pleaded “no contest” to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct, according to a previous article from The State. He said he was innocent of the charge but entered the no contest plea because he believed it was in the best interests of everyone involved.

JONATHAN MILLING

Milling thinks Richland 1 residents and taxpayers need a lawyer, and he is the right guy for them.

Before Richland 1 can increase teacher support and improve school safety, the district needs to improve transparency and determine whether the district’s spending is helping students.

“I’m coming in to ask questions and to get to the bottom of what’s going on,” Milling said.

Milling has four children in the district, which is more than any other candidate, he said.

Endorsements: Milling’s highest-profile endorsement comes from Columbia firebrand and S.C. Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, according to a mailer sent earlier this month. He has also received endorsements from former Richland 1 board member Pamela Adams and Richland County Councilman Joe Walker, according to the mailer.

Lawsuit: Milling successfully sued Richland 1 earlier this year for unlawfully meeting in secret, according to a previous article from The State.

MICHELLE DRAYTON

One of the hottest topics in K-12 education right now is mental health. That’s something Drayton, a licensed professional counselor, knows plenty about.

“My platform is mental health,” Drayton told The State.

Since she announced her candidacy, voters have told her they are concerned about safety at district schools, she said. She promises to improve safety with more mental health professionals, new punishment guidelines and possibly having interventions for misbehaving students.

Endorsements: S.C. Rep. Annie McDaniel, D-Fairfield, has endorsed Drayton’s candidacy. But like several other candidates, Drayton brushed off the importance of receiving endorsements.

“You gotta pick someone who is going to do the work and not just move up the ladder,” Drayton told The State.

LADY JUNE COLE

Of all five candidates, Lady June Cole has had likely the highest-ranking academic position: the president of Allen University.

Cole’s focus would be on moving the district’s schools into the 21st century by improving infrastructure and adding futuristic curricula, she said in a previous email interview. She also seeks to bolster teacher recruitment and retention.

“Given my education, past experience and leadership, I am the candidate to help improve the educational experience and advance the district,” Cole wrote in an email to The State. “I have worked with teachers overseas and nationally and I have kept abreast of modern practices that work.”

Cole did not list any endorsements.

Allen University: Cole’s experience as a college president is a huge resume point for her, but it also raises questions. In 2016, she was reportedly fired — a term she disputes — from the school without a public explanation. When The State reached out to her earlier this month to find out what led to her departure from Allen University, she provided few details. Allen University officials did not respond to questions from The State about Cole.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the founder of Hand Middle School Foundation endorsed Jonathan Milling. The person mentioned was not the founder of the foundation.

This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 4:35 PM.