Voter turnout in Anderson County on election day was 18.35 percent, with 23,392 ballots cast out of 127,402 registered voters. Voters handily turned down the One Percent Capital Project Tax Referendum for road and bridge improvements in Andeson County.
In Pelzer and West Pelzer, voters chose two new councilmembers to serve on their Town Council and chose a new mayor in Pelzer.
In Pelzer, voters chose Chase Smithwick as their new mayor with 85 percent of the vote, defeating Harold Tennihill, 159 to 23. There were five write-in votes. There were 189 votes cast in the mayor’s race.
Three new faces will serve on Pelzer Town Council.
Michael Shirley received 124 votes and Jason McElhannon 89, as the top vote getters for two open seats on Pelzer Town Council. Incumbents Donna Ide received 64 and Mike Matthews 44. Deb Seller received 20 votes. A total of 378 people voted in the Pelzer Town council race.
Greg Pullum was the only candidate to run for the unexpired council term in Pelzer. He received 116 of the 189 votes cast. There were 20 write-in votes cast.
In West Pelzer, Rick Sanders and Jeff Turner were the two top vote getters with Sanders receiving 109 votes and Turner receiving 68. They will fill the seats of the two incumbents, Jeff Lee with 38 votes and Johnny Rogers Sr. with 14 votes.
West Pelzer Mayor Jim Riddle recently resigned and there will be a special election on January 20 to fill the vacant mayor’s seat.
There will be a Special Election to fill the vacant mayor seat on January 20, 2026.
A candidate filing period for Mayor will open at noon on Monday, November 10, 2025, and close at noon on Friday, November 21, 2025.
In the three zoning referendums, Neal’s Creek, Rock Springs and Shirley Store, voters in all three precincts were clearly in favor of zoning. Neal’s Creek voters said yes by 213 to 140 no. In the Rock Spring Referendum, 129 votes said yes, 55 said no. In the Shirley Store zoning referendum,110 voters chose yes, 72 no.
