Voting has begun in Columbia’s city runoffs. Here’s who’s on the ballot
Voters have already begun to cast their ballots in the second round of Columbia’s city elections.
In-person absentee voting began Monday at the Richland County elections office, 2020 Hampton St. Absentee ballots can also be cast at 2011 Hampton St. Absentee voting will continue until Monday, Nov. 15, the day before polling places open for runoffs in the Columbia mayor’s race and at-large city council seat.
Columbia residents voted last week for their city leaders for the next four years, but two citywide races finished without any candidate winning a majority, so the top two candidates in each will take part in a runoff election on Nov. 16.
Two current city council members, Tameika Isaac Devine and Daniel Rickenmann, will face each other in the race to decide Columbia’s next mayor. The winner will replace Steve Benjamin, who is stepping down after three terms in office.
To run for mayor, Devine is giving up her at-large seat on the council. She will be replaced by the winner of the race between attorney Tyler Bailey and public health researcher Aditi Bussells. Bailey and Bussells came out on top last week in a seven-person race for one of two city council seats chosen by all voters in South Carolina’s capital city.
Voters in South Carolina are eligible for an absentee ballot if a variety of reasons will keep them away from their polling place on Election Day, or if they are 65 or older. Both absentee locations are open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but will be closed Thursday in observance of Veterans Day.
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