In a SC town of 32 voters, an aunt lost to her nephew after he starts write-in campaign
Even without his name on the ballot Tuesday, the mayor of a small South Carolina town won reelection.
And he beat his aunt to do it.
Robert “Bobby” Whitesides Faulkner Jr. will stay mayor of Smyrna, one of South Carolina’s smallest towns, after a successful write-in campaign. Smyrna is a western York County town with 32 registered voters, officials said.
Bobby Faulkner Jr. received 19 write-in votes for mayor to seven votes for Frances Faulkner, whose name was on the ballot, according to Alan Helms, director of the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of York County. Bobby Faulkner Jr. said his opponent was his aunt by marriage.
The county elections board certified the election and write-in votes Thursday, Helms said.
Bobby Faulkner Jr, 36, said that because he did not meet a deadline to get his name on the election ballot, he had to campaign as a write-in. He talked to people, sent out a mailer to town residents before the election to ask for their vote, and others went door-to-door to support his candidacy, Bobby Faulkner Jr. said.
Faulkner Jr. said Friday he’s proud to be the mayor. He was first elected in 2021. He will be sworn in again in January.
“Do right by the people, they will be right by you,” Bobby Faulkner Jr. said Friday in a phone interview with The Herald.
High turnout in a small town
York County is one of the fastest growing counties in South Carolina and the country, with a population pushing 300,000. Rock Hill is the largest city but communities in northern York County continue to see a surge in population.
In the rural western parts of the county, small towns remain small. Smyrna has around 50 people, depending on when and who is counting.
The 2020 population was listed at 55, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Web site. In 2010 the census said the population was 45. The town is a circle with a 1-mile diameter.
The census population might even be too high, Bobby Faulkner said. He said the population inside the town is likely less than 40, and that the 32 registered voters is probably 30 because one family moved before the election.
So, with 26 out of 32 officially registered voters who cast a ballot in the mayor race, the turnout was huge.
A win for democracy in Smyrna
Bobby Faulkner Jr. said he is proud of the turnout and participation in democracy in Smyrna.
And not just for himself.
Three others who ran for four seats up for election on town council also won as write-in candidates, said Helms of the election office.
One of those three to win a town council seat by write-in was Robert Faulkner Sr., the mayor’s dad, said Helms of the election office.
This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 12:55 PM with the headline "In a SC town of 32 voters, an aunt lost to her nephew after he starts write-in campaign."
