The South Carolina State Election Commission has found a way to fully pay for last week’s Republican presidential preference primary, a spokesman said Thursday. The commission was facing a $500,000 shortfall for the primary, which cost an estimated $1.5 million to hold. The Joint Other Funds Committee, a panel made up of South Carolina House and Senate members, has authorized the election commission to use money set aside for the June state primary to cover expenses from last week’s voting, commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said. “This should solve the issue,” Whitmire said. “Even if we had to spend $500,000 of June primary funds, we expect to be able to fund the June primary.”
On Thursday election officials in South Carolina’s 46 counties certified the results of the GOP primary, which was won by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Whitmire said the statewide results will be certified this afternoon.
Election officials in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties said Thursday’s certification of results did not lead to any significant changes in the vote totals. A total of 59,298 residents cast ballots in the three-county area. That equates to a voter turnout of 27 percent.
Full Article: S.C. elections officials find money to pay for GOP presidential primary » Anderson Independent Mail.