Atlantic Beach election commission threatened with sanctions

July 11, 2011

ATLANTIC BEACH, South Carolina: The Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in Atlantic Beach received a dressing-down from the South Carolina Supreme Court in a ruling issued on July 7, 2011 regarding their actions around the town council election in November of 2009. Challengers for two seats on the town council in the 2009 election met several obstacles put in their place by the MEC.

Windy Price, the head minister of the Atlantic Beach CME church, and Carolyn Cole, former Atlantic Beach town manager, ran for election to the Atlantic Beach town council in 2009. They made attempts to establish residency in the area by moving into an apartment building which was later condemned at the order of the town council, including those who were incumbents running for re-election. Next, Price and Cole moved in with Atlantic Beach resident and former mayor, Retha Pierce. Pierce's landlord subsequently sent a letter to a town commissioner stating that she was not permitted to have roommates, a statement that was contradicted by the terms of her lease. Later, the landlord admitted that he had been requested to write that letter by Town Commissioners and disavowed it. The Supreme Court said that the "attempts by members of the MEC and the town manager to prevent Cole and Price from establishing residency were deplorable."

External links

• Associated Press "SC Supreme Court threatens Atlantic Beach with sanctions if town breaks election laws again," July 7, 2011
• WPDE "Atlantic Beach scolded over election, incumbents ordered off council," July 7, 2011