Civic Duty Calls Voters to Polls

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Let neither rain nor sleet nor mudslinging prevent registered voters from making their choices today for many important municipal officers across Georgetown and Horry counties and Brunswick County, N.C. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Horry and Georgetown counties and 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Brunswick County.

It's only a slight comfort to know that downright dirty election campaigns are hardly limited to some - certainly not all - Grand Strand municipal elections. As reported in The Sun News the other day, Myrtle Beach Councilwoman Susan Grissom Means says, "I've never seen as much mudslinging as I have this year." A veteran political insider, she has seen plenty of municipal elections.

The unfortunate fact is that election campaigns are more negative than many voters profess to like for every office from president of the United States to governor and state legislators to local mayors and members of town or city councils. The increasingly negative aspect of nearly all campaigns for elective office perhaps has turned off people to not only the negativity but also the elective process itself.

Political scientists such as Paul Peterson at Coastal Carolina University and Robert Oldendick at the University of South Carolina tell us the negative trend is not likely to change because, by and large, it works. Negative advertisements can influence voters and rally a candidate's supporters. As Peterson says, the nastiness may be thought of as part of the process in some campaigns, a price to be paid. In a race with high interest to begin with, negative ads might draw more folks into the campaign and to the polling places.

So vote today for the municipal candidates of your choice. The Sun News has offered editorial recommendations in many races, not by way of telling folks how to vote. These opinions of The Sun News editorial board ideally would be one of many sources for voters. A summary of the recommendations follows.

Recommendations

Myrtle Beach mayor | No recommendation

Myrtle Beach City Council | Wayne Gray, Randal Wallace, Mike Lowder

North Myrtle Beach mayor | No recommendation

North Myrtle Beach City Council (Windy Hill) | Greg Duckworth

Conway City Council | Randy Alford, Irby Koon, Jeanne Timbes

Aynor Town Council | John Gardner, Josh Johnson

Atlantic Beach Town Council | Josephine Isom, Charlene Taylor

Georgetown mayor | Jack Scoville

Georgetown City Council | Paige Sawyer, Brendon Barber, Jeanette Ard

Calabash Board of Commissioners | No recommendations

Carolina Shores Board of Commissioners | Gere Dale, Joyce Dunn