Follow-Up File: South Carolina Rural Election Drama

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Earlier this week, we reported on allegations of voter fraud leveled against an incoming Laurens County, South Carolina councilman by the chairman of Laurens County council. In the aftermath of those reports – and dispatches filed by local media – a state judge has declined to swear-in the incoming councilman pending an investigation by local election officials.

As FITSNews reported on Monday (January 6, 2025), Laurens County council chairman W. Brown Patterson Jr. submitted a public letter to the county’s voter registration and election commission dated last Friday (January 3, 2025) in which he challenged registration of both Cassandra Philson and Arthur Lee Philson Jr. of Clinton, S.C.

“I believe they have falsified information and perjured themselves when signing documentation with your office,” Patterson wrote in his letter (.pdf).

Arthur Lee Philson Jr. is councilman-elect for the county’s sixth district seat, having vanquished incumbent Diane Anderson on November 5, 2024 as a petition candidate.

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According to Patterson’s complaint, the Philsons do not reside at the address where they are currently registered to vote. Assuming the information he provided local election officials is accurate, it is unclear whether Philson was legally elected last fall.

The S.C. Code of Laws (§ 4-9-90) mandates that county council members “must be elected by the qualified electors of the district in which they reside.” It further states a council member “will be deemed a resident of the district he represents as long as he resides in any part of the district as constituted at the time of his election.”

On Tuesday evening (January 7, 2025), S.C. circuit court judge Donald B. Hocker swore in two new council members – and a returning incumbent – but “declined” to swear in Philson, according to local journalist Larry Franklin.

“Hocker gave no reason for not swearing Philson in,” Franklin reported.

The county election commission has scheduled a meeting tomorrow morning (January 10, 2024) to hear Patterson’s complaint against Philson.

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Some of Philson’s defenders accused county leaders of racism in their campaign against him. Others alleged a power play on the part of the incumbent county council chairman.

“Chairman Brown Patterson does not want to lose his job,” Philson supporter Ayana Dendy wrote on social media. “The council members who were sworn in tonight plan on voting him out, but you have to have four total votes in order to do so. So what does Patterson do… challenge Mr. Philson.”

“They are ALL going to reap what they sow,” Dendy noted. “And for y’all who are commenting, talking about you should only be able to vote where you stay, just be quiet. Especially if you don’t know what’s really going on.”

FITSNews reached out to the Philsons for comment about the residency complaint but have yet to receive a response. Should that change, we will be sure to update our audience.

Laurens County council is scheduled to hold its first official meeting of the new year next Monday (January 13, 2025). Located just south of Greenville and Spartanburg – the two most populous counties in the Palmetto Upstate – Laurens is home to nearly 69,000 people, according to the latest Census data. Its history dates back to 1785, and it derives its name from former continental congress president Henry Laurens.

Count on this media outlet to keep our audience up to speed on the latest developments in this local government saga…

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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