Horry County Council pushes resolution forward for absentee ballot investigation

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Horry County Council Administration Committee approved a resolution that will allow them to push forward an investigation regarding absentee ballot mistakes in the June runoff election.

This vote allows the resolution to be presented to the entire county council for a final vote on the matter.

The decision comes after leaders discovered that 1,337 Democratic absentee ballots were sent to Republican voters before the June runoff.

The ballot mix-up was traced back to errors in the printing and mailing process by Sun Solution, a printing company based in Columbia.

One council member said that most people that got the wrong absentee ballot didn’t have the opportunity to vote in the June runoff.

If the entire council accepts the resolution, letters asking for an investigation will be sent to the South Carolina Elections Commission, the South Carolina Legislature and the State Law Enforcement Division.

WMBF News reached out to Horry County Democratic party spokesperson Bob Gatty about the absentee mistake. He said they agree that the mistake should be investigated and that they are not going to intervene.

Horry County Councilmember Dennis DiSabato said he hopes the mistake won’t be repeated once the investigation is done.

“I think this will help us understand whether or not the state election commission is operating under the proper guidelines with regards to the type of election machines and voting machines that are being used,” said DiSabato.

The next Horry County meeting will be in September.

Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.