Atlantic Beach set to appoint acting election commission chairman
ATLANTIC BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Atlantic Beach Municipal Election Commission will meet Wednesday afternoon to appoint an acting chairman, even though town leaders have considered turning over control of future elections to Horry County.
The previous chairman of the three-person panel, Joe Montgomery, was fired last year in a series of dramatic events that followed the town’s hotly contested mayor’s race in November. Montgomery’s firing came after town leaders abruptly decided to disband the commission, only to bring it back a little more than two weeks later.
Joseph Dickey, the town’s attorney, said the town had evidence of a state code violation that showed a conflict of interest. He said Montgomery was acting unjust, unlawful and they wanted to seek action with the decision.
The controversy stemmed from the disputed mayor’s race between John David and Josephine Isom, which still has not been certified. Unofficial results from election night showed that Isom, a town council member and mayor pro tem, defeated David 62-49. However, during a Nov. 9 recount, 18 challenged ballots were approved during a certification hearing that swung the vote in favor of David, 65-64.
The decision to reinstate the panel and fire Montgomery came after David asked the South Carolina Supreme Court to intervene.
Prior to seemingly being elected mayor in November, Davis also ran for a vacant seat on the town council in January 2023. He received the most votes in a runoff election with Michael Isom, Joesphine Isom’s son, but was not able to take office until January because Michael Isom challenged his residence.
The South Carolina Supreme Court affirmed a lower court’s ruling on his residency, and he officially was sworn-in in January.
The Election Commission meeting on Wednesday is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Atlantic Beach Community Center at 1010 32nd Ave. South.
Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.
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