Aiken Republican mayoral primary runoff: Here's what you need to know to vote

Matthew Christian, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·4 min read

Aug. 21—Voting will begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday and continue through 7 p.m. in the Aiken Republican mayoral primary runoff between incumbent Rick Osbon and restaurateur Teddy Milner.

How did we get here?

Osbon and Milner advanced to the runoff Aug. 8. Osbon received around 43 percent of the vote and Milner received around 29 percent. Third-place finisher Kathryn Wade received around 28 percent of the vote.

Who are the candidates?

Osbon, the owner of Osbon's Laundry and Cleaners, has been Aiken's mayor since 2015. He did not face opposition in 2019.

Milner is the owner and operator of It's All Good, a restaurant and catering business on Hayne Avenue. She also previously owned and operated the Stoplight Deli.

The candidates have addressed several issues at four forums hosted throughout the city, including:

—Traffic and downtown redevelopment at the Aiken County Republican Party Forum on July 23;

—Hotel Aiken plans at an Aiken Republican Club forum on July 25;

—Real estate issues at a forum hosted the week of July 23 by the Aiken Association of Realtors; and

—Northside issues at a forum hosted by the Schofield Community Association on Aug. 17.

Who can vote?

All registered voters who reside in the city of Aiken can vote regardless of political party. Even people who did not vote in the primary can vote in the runoff.

Where to vote?

There are 25 precincts involved in the election.

The precincts included in the election are Aiken 1, Aiken 2, Aiken 3, Aiken 4, Aiken 5, Aiken 6, Aiken 47, Anderson Pond 69, China Springs 11, College Acres 13, Gem Lakes 60, Gem Lakes 77, Hitchcock 68, Hollow Creek 53, Levels 52, Levels 72, Levels 83, Millbrook 20, Montmorenci 22, Redds Branch 57, Sandstone 70, Sandstone 79, Six Points 36, Six Points 46 and South Aiken 76.

It is possible some precincts listed include voters inside and outside the city limits. The voter registration information page provides a municipality listing and if that's blank, a voter is not in the city and, therefore, cannot vote in the primary.

A person wishing to vote can find their precinct on their voter registration card or on the South Carolina Election Commission's website, scvotes.gov.

To find a precinct on the website, click "Check My Registration" under the "Voter" tab at the top of the page. A link is also available further down the page under "mySCvotes" written in gold.

A person wishing to vote will need to provide their county of residence, their first and last name, their date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number on the next screen. There also may be a need to take a robot test.

The next screen provides the person wishing to vote's registration information including their precinct and polling location. Directions to the polling location are available by clicking the address.

Where the precincts located?

The precincts will vote in the same locations as the Aug. 8 primary.

For the runoff, Aiken 1, Aiken 4, Six Points 36 and Six Points 46 will join Aiken 2 to vote at the Lessie B. Price Aiken Senior and Youth Center located at 841 Edgefield Ave. N.W.

Aiken 3, China Springs 11 and Redds Branch 57 will join Aiken 5 to vote at St. Mary's Smith Hall located at 125 Park Ave. S.E.

Montmorenci 22, Levels 52, Hitchcock 66 and Levels 72 will join Aiken 6 and Aiken 47 to vote at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center located at 1700 Whiskey Road.

Sandstone 70 will join College Acres 13 and Hollow Creek 53 to vote at Mercy Church located at 2700 Whiskey Road.

Millbrook 20 and Levels 83 will vote at St. Paul Lutheran Church located at 961 Trail Ridge Road.

Gem Lakes 60, Gem Lakes 77 and Sandstone 79 will join Anderson Pond 69 in voting at Millbrook Baptist Church located at 223 Whiskey Road.

South Aiken 76 will continue to vote at Living Hope located at 2550 Old Dominion Road.

Why should I vote?

For Aiken residents, the election is likely to be the only time they get a choice for mayor. There are no Democrats running. So, the winner of the Republican nomination is very likely to win the Nov. 7 general election.

How do I vote?

People wishing to vote will need to bring one of four forms of identification to their polling place. Accepted IDs are South Carolina driver's license, South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles identify card, U.S. Passport or federal military identification.

Once a person arrives, they will need to sign in to vote and be escorted to a voting machine.

From there, it's as simple as pressing a couple of buttons on a touchscreen.

Voters will also be asked to insert their physical ballot into a counting machine after voting.