The Florence County Election Commission decided Friday to ask Gov. Mark Sanford to order that a new Johnsonville mayoral election be held
June 29.

Florence County Elections/
Voter Registration Director Russell Barrett said he mailed the commission's request to the governor Friday afternoon.

The state Supreme Court ruled Monday that there were procedural errors in the 2002 Johnsonville mayoral election and a new election should
be held.

The controversy surrounding the Johnsonville election began about 16 months ago when former Johnsonville City Councilman Steve Dukes lost the Johnsonville mayoral election
to incumbent Thomas E. Redmond.

Unofficial results after the election showed that Redmond defeated Dukes by two votes.

But when the votes were counted during a mandatory recount two days later, Redmond had gained an additional vote.

Though election officials chalked up the difference in counts to a hanging chad on one of the punchcard ballots, Dukes was not satisfied that the election results were accurate.

A few days after the recount, he requested a protest hearing before the Florence County Election Commission.

The county election commission denied his appeal, so Dukes took his case to the state election commission.

After the state election commission returned a split decision, Dukes decided to appeal his case to the state Supreme Court based on his contention that several people who were listed on the registration books and voted in the election did not live in the city limits.

The voters in question owned contiguous lots -- one in the city on which they pay city taxes and one outside the city limits on which they do not pay city taxes.

Their dwelling was on the back lot, which was not in the city.

The Supreme Court ruled that a person's residence is the part of the property on which the dwelling is actually located, not the total property owned.

Therefore, the voters in question were not eligible to vote in the mayoral election.

Under South Carolina law, the governor must order that a new election be held. In the meantime, Redmond will remain in office as mayor.