Seat to be filled by special election

Voters in Loris will select the successor to the late Mayor Henry L. Nichols in a special election to be held on Tuesday, May 28, with the winner filling the office for only the remainder of this year.

According to Dena Huggins of the Horry County Registration & Elections Office, state law requires a special election to fill an unexpired term of office if, when the vacancy occurs, there are more than 180 days left in that term before the next general election. State law further provides that the special election shall be held on the thirteenth Tuesday after the vacancy occurs.

Voters will cast ballots on May 28 in the East Loris and West Loris Precincts with polls open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

The election results will be certified by the Municipal Election Commission in a hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 30. A runoff election, if necessary, will be held on Tuesday, June12.

Interested candidates must file a statement of candidacy and other forms with the city clerk during a ten-day filing period which begins at noon on Friday, March 15, and closes at noon on Monday, March 25.

The city’s general election will be held in November. At that time a mayor and three council members will be elected to serve regular four-year terms.

The election committee members regarding the special election, could not be reached by press time. A meeting will be scheduled prior to the special election on May 28.

Until such time the mayor’s unexpired term is filled, state law allows the mayor pro-tem to handle the duties of the mayor.

Once the candidates are established they will be profiled in the Loris Times.