Plans for special elections in Norway and Branchville are still up in the air as officials await important pieces of information.

The town of Branchville is waiting for clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice.

In Norway, the winner of the Nov. 3 mayor's race had not officially withdrawn as he has said he would, officials said at mid-week.

Jim Preacher, who won the mayor's race in Norway, said the issue has already been covered and that the media attention surrounding it was affecting his family and "everything else."

"I just got no comment. It's affected the people here in Norway and it's affected the people in Ehrhardt. I'm tired of being in the newspaper. I have no comment. I've already answered that numerous times," he said Wednesday.

Preacher, who defeated incumbent Mayor Brad Fogle, announced a week after the election that he would remain as police chief in the town of Ehrhardt instead. Preacher, who was previously fired as police chief of Norway by Fogle, made his announcement after meeting in closed session with Ehrhardt Town Council.

According to Preacher, serving in both positions would be a violation of the state's policy on dual office holding.

Howard Jackson, Orangeburg County's Voter Registration and Elections director, said Wednesday that a special election can not be held until Preacher issues a letter stating his intentions.

"I haven't received anything from the town of Norway. As far as now, he's still the mayor-elect of the town of Norway until he officially resigns that post by sending a letter. When we get that, then we'll proceed, along with the town, in scheduling another election," Jackson said.

He added, "I called the town a couple of times, and they said they haven't received anything from him. Until we get that information from the town, then our office is not involved."

Norway Town Clerk Mary Alice Mundy said last week town officials don't know if Preacher will be sworn in as mayor or if a new election will be required.

"We don't know. He hasn't said yet," Mundy said. "According to the town ordinance, normally he'd be sworn in on the first Town Council meeting in January following the election. Town Council meets on Jan. 4."

The Orangeburg County elections office said it knew of no changes to the status of the Norway election on Friday.

After a challenge arose in Branchville, the local election commission voted unanimously to disqualify the Nov. 3 election for three council members and to hold a new one on Feb. 9.

"We're waiting to get a letter back from the Justice Department," the Branchville town clerk said.

While all six members of town council would be up for re-election at that time, election commission Chairman Sharon Ott said she is not yet sure whether a new mayoral election would be required.

The commission's decision to invalidate the election was based on candidate Gidget Vickers' allegation that the town changed the term of office for town officials from two years to four years without getting pre-clearance from the U.S. Justice Department.

Because the town did not get the pre-clearance, the commission found that the election was incomplete. It also determined that under the town's original two-year, unstaggered terms for council members, all positions on the council are up for re-election.

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T&D Staff Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached by e-mail at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5545. T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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