Gov McMaster makes 4 appointments to SC’s election board

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday announced his selection of four new appointees for the board that maintains South Carolina’s elections system.

Among the Republican’s picks are former Kershaw County Councilman John Wells, who practices law in Elgin, and retired Mount Pleasant businessman Cliff Edler for two of the positions. A third appointment went to Chapin business owner Scott Moseley, who has also donated to McMaster’s campaigns.

McMaster also tapped Amanda Loveday, former state Democratic Party executive director and spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, for the commission. According to commission rules, at least one member must represent the party in the minority in the General Assembly.

A fifth four-year position remains vacant.

“The electoral process in South Carolina will be well served by this talented group of leaders,” McMaster said in a release. “Each of them brings a unique and professional level of experience in the democratic process, a firm belief in the rule of law, and an unwavering commitment to the sanctity of the ballot box.”

One of the things on the commission’s plate is the replacement of all of the state’s voting machines with devices that produce a paper voting record. Earlier this month, the commission began that process, issuing a request for proposals for a possible vendor, with a committee of state and county election officials planning to evaluate the bids.

The state’s aging electronic voting machines are nearing the end of their 15-year life cycle. State election officials have said that they are still working to procure the roughly $50 million they’ll need to replace all machines by 2020.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.