COLUMBIA - The state Election Commission turned down protests from two Horry County legislative candidates Tuesday.

The panel ruled unanimously against a protest filed by Republican Senate candidate Katherine Jenerette and dismissed the protest from Democratic House candidate Dick Withington.

Withington did not attend the hearing, and commission Chairman Butch Bowers said he would entertain a motion for dismissal from Rep. Nelson Hardwick, R-Surfside Beach, who beat Withington in the House District 106 race.

Hardwick made the motion, and the board voted to accept it.

Withington issued a statement Tuesday afternoon saying he wanted the board to consider the merits of his protest and because it did not, he will appeal to the state House.

Jenerette, who sought the Senate District 28 seat held by Democrat Dick Elliott, filed a 13-page list of allegations of improprieties and other acts she said could have affected the outcome of the election.

She said she was surprised by "the high level of voter fraud" in the election.

"This is as blatant as Chicago politics," she said.

But she had no evidence the Election Commission would accept and did not present any witnesses.

Bowers would not allow Jenerette or her husband, Van Jenerette, to testify about things other people told them.

She brought a police incident report to submit as evidence that some of her allegations were being investigated, but the commission said that was insufficient evidence.

Most of Katherine Jenerette's argument was over theft and destruction of her signs, which she said could have affected the outcome.

When her signs were destroyed and vandalized, "this had a huge effect on people seeing them," she said.

Martin objected several times when she tried to discuss how the signs affected the race.

"These are very serious allegations," and they should not be heard without evidence to support them, Martin said.

The commission took about 15 minutes, deliberating in private, to rule against the protest. Members did not discuss the ruling in public and did not say why they voted it down.

Jenerette said the commission was fair and that she understood why they operated according to court rules.

"I am surprised that they didn't allow the police report," she said.

Elliott said no one in his campaign did anything improper.

"I'm delighted, and I'm ready to go to work," he said.