By Haley Hughes
S.C. House Rep. Tom Young and Jane Vaughters each said their petitions enabling them to run for elected office have been certified by the state Elections Commission.
Young, a Republican who represents House District 81, announced via email this week that his petition for S.C. Senate District 24 has been given the OK, ensuring his name will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.
The petition filed by Vaughters, who is vying for Young's seat, has also been approved.
District 24 incumbent Greg Ryberg is retiring, and Young is uncontested for the seat.
Even though Young was not impacted by a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that removed hundreds of prospective candidates for elected office from the June primary, he still put together a petition for the general election as a precaution in case another court ruling is handed down that could affect him.
To be on the November ballot, Young and Vaughters were required to get signatures of five percent of the voters within a district.
"As of right now, I will be listed as both the Republican nominee and as a petition candidate for Senate District 24," Young wrote in an email. "Thus, even if another court decision between now and the Nov. 6 election removes more candidates from the ballot and I am impacted by that decision as the Republican nominee, then I will still be on the ballot as a petition candidate for Senate District 24."
More than 200 candidates statewide were decertified as a result of the ruling that stated candidates had to file a paper copy of a Statement of Economic Interests when they filed with the elections office. The action meant that none of those candidates were allowed on the ballot for the primary.
Vaughters, a former member of Aiken City Council, was one such candidate. Her name will appear on the November electronic ballot, as well, so voters will not have to type it in.
Vaughters was running as a Republican candidate before she was removed from the ballot.
"I am grateful for all the people who helped me get signatures, but I don't think any candidate should have to do this," she said, noting that she believes the state legislature could have reversed the court's ruling before their session ended. "We hope to run a good race."
Vaughters is running against Aiken City Councilman Don Wells for District 81. Wells was not impacted by the court ruling, either, and will forfeit his seat on City Council should he win in November.![]()
S.C. House Rep. Tom Young and Jane Vaughters each said their petitions enabling them to run for elected office have been certified by the state Elections Commission.
Young, a Republican who represents House District 81, announced via email this week that his petition for S.C. Senate District 24 has been given the OK, ensuring his name will appear on the Nov. 6 general election ballot.
The petition filed by Vaughters, who is vying for Young's seat, has also been approved.
District 24 incumbent Greg Ryberg is retiring, and Young is uncontested for the seat.
Even though Young was not impacted by a state Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that removed hundreds of prospective candidates for elected office from the June primary, he still put together a petition for the general election as a precaution in case another court ruling is handed down that could affect him.
To be on the November ballot, Young and Vaughters were required to get signatures of five percent of the voters within a district.
"As of right now, I will be listed as both the Republican nominee and as a petition candidate for Senate District 24," Young wrote in an email. "Thus, even if another court decision between now and the Nov. 6 election removes more candidates from the ballot and I am impacted by that decision as the Republican nominee, then I will still be on the ballot as a petition candidate for Senate District 24."
More than 200 candidates statewide were decertified as a result of the ruling that stated candidates had to file a paper copy of a Statement of Economic Interests when they filed with the elections office. The action meant that none of those candidates were allowed on the ballot for the primary.
Vaughters, a former member of Aiken City Council, was one such candidate. Her name will appear on the November electronic ballot, as well, so voters will not have to type it in.
Vaughters was running as a Republican candidate before she was removed from the ballot.
"I am grateful for all the people who helped me get signatures, but I don't think any candidate should have to do this," she said, noting that she believes the state legislature could have reversed the court's ruling before their session ended. "We hope to run a good race."
Vaughters is running against Aiken City Councilman Don Wells for District 81. Wells was not impacted by the court ruling, either, and will forfeit his seat on City Council should he win in November.