SC Court Taking up Florence County Election Case

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By News Department

Story Created: May 23, 2012 at 11:45 PM EDT

Story Updated: May 23, 2012 at 11:45 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina's highest court is hearing a legal challenge over a political party's decision to allow some candidates on ballots for the June 12 primary.

The state Supreme Court said Wednesday that justices would hear arguments on June 4.

Earlier this month, justices ruled that financial and candidate-intent paperwork must be filed simultaneously, a decision that forced the state Democratic and Republican parties to cull their candidate lists, eliminating nearly 200 candidates from the June 12 ballot.

The Florence County Democratic Party says its county chairwoman removed names of candidates who didn't meet that requirement. But the Democrats say that the county Republican Party certified all of its candidates, even ones who should have been excluded.