Beaufort Co. voter qualification challenge hearing rescheduled after board lacks quorum

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A rare voter challenge in Beaufort County, expected to be the first in six or seven years, was scheduled to be heard Monday morning in Bluffton, but election officials postponed the case because too few members of the county election board were present to move forward.

The challenge, filed about 10 days ago by Hilton Head Island resident Ron Thomas, questions the voting qualifications of local government critic Skip Hoagland.

At issue is Hoagland’s residency, or “domicile,” defined under South Carolina law as a person’s permanent home—the place they intend to return to when absent.

Under South Carolina state law, a resident can challenge another person’s ability to vote. The process requires the election board to hear from both parties and review any evidence presented.

Georgia Southern University Associate Political Science Professor Dr. Kimberly Martin Tecklenburg said boards typically look at documents that show where someone lives, such as a driver’s license, vehicle registration, and income tax returns.

If the board ultimately rules in Thomas’ favor, Hoagland’s name could be removed from the voter rolls, and any provisional ballots he cast would be rejected. Hoagland would have the option to appeal the decision.

Tecklenburg noted voter challenges tend to be far more common in Georgia than in South Carolina.

In Georgia, challengers can submit large lists of voters for review, including mass challenges like one in Bryan County less than two years ago where hundreds of people were called to defend their eligibility.

In South Carolina, she said, challenges are generally more isolated, in part because each challenge must be filed individually.

“It seems to be more of an isolated event, and a lot of that is because of again the way the South Carolina law is written,” Dr. Tecklenburg said.

She also says the decision may be an easier one for the board to make.

“Having to deal with the challenge of one person on another person is much easier than when you take care of 800 people,” Dr. Tecklenburg said.

Both Thomas and Hoagland were at the Bluffton Recreation Center for Monday’s scheduled hearing, but the board could not proceed without enough members in attendance.

Election officials rescheduled the hearing for 10 a.m. Friday, when the board is expected to have sufficient members present to move forward.