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Photo by Ken Ruinard

The Rev. Paul Frey, right, of Trinity United Methodist Church tells poll manager Tom Weeks, left, at Ward 6 Precinct 1 he is finished voting for one person in the District 1 County Council runoff Tuesday in Anderson. Incumbent Bob Waldrep faces opposition from Raymond MacKay.

ANDERSON — With only an hour remaining to vote, the race is on for the Anderson County Council District 1 seat.

The hotly contested race between incumbent Bob Waldrep, an Anderson attorney and former state senator and challenger Raymond MacKay, also an Anderson attorney, has pulled a steady stream of voters into the polls all day.

Neither candidate received a majority of the votes in the state’s Republican primary earlier this month. MacKay won 2,092 votes (49 percent) during the primary. Waldrep took 1,958 votes (45.8 percent), and a third candidate, retired salesman Brooks Brown, received 221 votes.

Today's winner will not face a Democratic challenger in November's general election, so he will likely fill the council seat.

MacKay greeted residents at Sheppard Swim Center, thanking them for participating in the runoff. Supporters wished him well as they headed in to vote. MacKay said friends were calling friends all day encouraging them to vote, but the outcome is still anyone’s guess.

Waldrep greeted voters at the Anderson County Museum where voters were in for another surprise inside. In an effort to “bring back patriotism,” poll workers sported patriotic T-shirts and top hats decorated with the stars and stripes.

“In our precinct, they vote,” said Donna Fillingham, one of the poll workers. Already today, she had met a 72-year-old man who has participated in every election since he turned 21.

By 3:45 p.m., Anderson 2/1 had seen 257 voters, pacing ahead of its turnout two weeks ago. Anderson 1/ 2 was seeing equally as good turnout at Concord Elementary School. More than 300 voters had cast ballots there as of 4 p.m.

Poll manager John Morris credited the turnout to one of two things: either voters really want a change or they really want to keep the council member they have.

Dan Harvell, president of the former Anderson County taxpayers association, hopes it’s the latter. He worked until 2 a.m. Tuesday putting signs up at all the polling places saying, “Preston and MacKay mean more taxes, more secret government.”

“My big goal for this day is to change a 2-5 minority into a 5-2 majority,” Harvell said. “When that happens, the government of Anderson County will be turned back over to the people.”

Eddie Moore, the newly-elected council member for District 3, was watching the polls for Waldrep at Edgewood Station B.

Even there, turnout was steady all day, poll workers said. As of about 4:30 p.m., 302 voters had cast ballots and workers were expecting a total turnout of about 20 to 25 percent.

“Both candidates have been campaigning really, really hard,” poll manager Debbie Meyers said. “.. It seems the interest has increased even since the primary.”

Polls opened at 7 a.m., and will close at 7 p.m. All precincts in the district are open today.