Richland 1’s board will negotiate with voting officials on special election

Richland 1 will be holding a special election to fill a seat vacated by a school board member who moved outside the district.

On Oct. 26, Richland 1 voters will replace Yolanda Anderson, who submitted her letter of resignation to the school board Aug. 2 and was not present at Tuesday’s meeting. Richland County Director of Voter Registration and Elections Alexandria Stephens confirmed the election date.

Board member Angela Clyburn read Anderson’s resignation letter during a Tuesday school board meeting. Anderson said in her letter it was an “honor and privilege” to serve on the school board.

“Due to personal family obligations, this move was a necessity,” Anderson said in the letter. “Many blessings to you and the rest of the team.”

During the Tuesday school board meeting, the board approved a motion to allow Board Chair Aaron Bishop to “negotiate” with local elections officials regarding the special election.

Board member Beatrice King abstained from voting after questioning why elected officials would have a say in the election of one of their future colleagues. The board voted 5-0 to approve allowing Bishop to negotiate with elections officials.

The matter was listed as an “election contractual matter” in the board’s agenda.

Because public agencies are required to fund their special elections, and the board is required to approve contracts worth more than $50,000, board member Cheryl Harris said the board would be required to approve the expense.

“We’re accountable for the tax dollars we spend,” Harris said.

Charles Boykin, an attorney who represents Richland 1, said the point of the negotiation would be to figure out the price and scope of the election.

“The statute says you’ll pay for it. It doesn’t say how much you’ll be paying or what you’ll be paying for,” Boykin said.

Board member and former Richland 1 board Chair Jamie Devine said the board has done similar negotiations with elections officials in the past. District spokeswoman Karen York also said Richland 1 has done this in prior elections.

“There have been times in prior years where the Board has tried to negotiate the cost of special elections to see what might be possible to lower the cost to the district,” York said in an email.

Stephens, the Richland County elections official, told The State that, while she is new to the job, she is unfamiliar with a process by which elected officials can negotiate with elections officials on the specifics of an election.

King also said she was “puzzled” by the board’s motion.

“I do not remember the board ever voting on this, because it’s not a contract,” King said at the meeting.