By Bru Nimmons

Staff Reporter

bnimmons@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — Following a dramatic four-month ordeal, the new District 7 seat on the Pickens County School Board seat will finally be filled on Tuesday.

The seat, contested between Phillip Healy and Alice Hendricks Vander Linden, appeared to have been won by just 21 votes by Healy in November.

However, following an appeal by Vander Linden, the results were nullified due to an issue with voting machines being programmed incorrectly, forcing 137 voters to use “failsafe” ballots that didn’t include the District 7 school board race. Following the county election board’s decision, a new race was ordered by the governor’s office.

The District 7 seat, which covers the Dacusville area, is a new addition to the school board and was established by legislators to prevent deadlock within the district.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday at the Cedar Rock, Crescent Hill, Crossroads, Dacusville, Glassy Mountain, Griffin, Nine Forks and Pumpkintown polling places.

In-person absentee voting will take place at the Pickens County Administration Building from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday.