ATLANTIC BEACH — Atlantic Beach’s November election results remain uncertified.
The town’s Municipal Election Commission on March 27 voted 2-1 to delay certifying the results until a protest hearing can be held next week. The hearing is in response to candidate Josephine Isom’s complaint that 18 provisional ballots came from people who live outside the town.
Commission Chairman Kenneth McIver, who cast the dissenting vote, maintains the delay is improper and doesn’t follow the town’s normal certification procedures. But he was outvoted by commissioners Carolyn Gore and Derrick Stevens, who argued the commission’s attorneys had suggested holding the protest hearing first.
“I did a lot of preparation for this meeting today, and this is very frustrating,” McIver said.
McIver said he doesn’t know if the results will be certified immediately after the protest hearing or if another meeting will be necessary.
As of March 27, 2024, four months after the November elections, the votes in Atlantic Beach’s mayoral and Town Council elections have still not been certified. They sat untouched in secured blue and red ballot boxes, pictured, during the town’s Municipal Election Commission meeting March 27, which was supposed to be when the certification took place.
The latest delay comes after Atlantic Beach Town Councilman John David filed a petition asking the court to force the election commission to certify the election results. David ran for mayor against Isom last fall.
On Election Day, Isom appeared to be the winner, but 18 provisional ballots counted Nov. 9 gave David a 65-64 edge. A runoff would still be required, though, because a candidate would have needed 66 votes out of the 131-ballot total to prevail due to two write-in votes, according to the S.C. Election Commission.
The day before the municipal election commission could certify November results, however, outgoing Mayor Jake Evans convened an emergency meeting to disband the election commission, a decision that came shortly after Isom’s allegations about the provisional ballots.
Less than three weeks after disbanding the town’s election commission, Atlantic Beach leaders reinstated the panel but ousted chairman Joe Montgomery, publicly accusing him of violating election laws. Montgomery denied any wrongdoing.
After the election upheaval, David sued Evans, Isom, Town Councilwoman Jacqueline Gore, the town and its Municipal Election Commission for preventing the certification of the election results. The defendants have denied any wrongdoing, and the case remains ongoing.
After the March 27 meeting, David said he was not surprised that the commission delayed the certification again. The commission initially planned to meet March 20 to certify the results, but that meeting was rescheduled to March 27 due to a lack of a quorum.
David fears the certification will continue to be postponed, which is why he said he will continue his legal fight. He hopes the court will resolve the matter.
“They’re stopping justice and the rights and the votes of the Americans that have voted — for four months now,” David said.
Gov. Henry McMaster’s office has also declined a request by Atlantic Beach officials to intervene in the town’s legal challenges over the decision to disband its election commission.
