SC town candidates challenge election losses

ROWESVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Two incumbents who lost their seats on the Rowesville Town Council are challenging the results of this week’s election.

The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reports (http://bit.ly/w2bx3s ) that council members Deborah Bonnett and Carolyn Groom say there could have been a conflict of interest at work.

The Municipal Election Commission plans to hold a public hearing on the challenge on Friday.

Town Clerk Maralene Simpsons says the two unsuccessful candidates say that a poll worker may be a relative of one of the victorious candidates.

Groom fell one vote shy of tying one of the winning candidates, while Bonnett was two votes behind. Groom says she can’t remember a Rowesville election ever being that close.

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Information from: The Times & Democrat, http://www.timesanddemocrat.com