Voters in the city of Clemson will go to the polls next Tuesday for a special election, but no candidates will be on the ballot.
Jeff Bennett and John Ducworth, who had filed to run for an open city council, have been removed because of a problem with their candidate forms. Both were victims of the state Supreme Court decision last month that barred candidates who did not file paper copies of their required financial documents. Both Bennett and Ducworth filed their forms electronically. A third candidate Don Collins never turned in his paperwork at all.
Rodney Allen, director of the Pickens County Registration & Elections Commission, says the election will still be held.
“The ballot the voters receive will not have any candidates’ names listed,” he said, “It will just have the write-in blank and they will need to write in the candidate of their choice. They can write in any person who meets the qualifications of the office of city council.”
The council seat opened up when former councilman J.C. Cook ran unopposed for mayor this spring.
Bennett owns a digital media firm, while Ducworth is vice president of First Citizens Bank in Clemson.
