COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland County's Election Director has resigned less than two weeks after it was revealed that over 1,000 votes weren't counted in the most recent elections.
Jane Emerson, the chairwoman of the county's election commission, said Rokey Suleman submitted his resignation last Saturday after roughly two years on the job.
A report in the Charleston Post & Courier last month found that 1,040 votes weren't tabulated in Richland County during the November 2018 races. That represents less than one percent of votes casts.
Emerson said it was Suleman's decision to step down, and the departure is directly tied to the problem with the votes.
"That was a big issue," Emerson said.
The South Carolina Elections Commission told News19 last week the elections office failed to include ballots from four voting machines that were used in the certified results.
"This was a human error that resulted from failures in the office’s accountability and control processes on election night and in the days leading up to the certification of results," the state said.
The state does not believe the uncounted votes affected the outcome of any races.
Emerson said the board is still working on the terms of Suleman's departure. In the meantime, Deputy Director Thad Hall will take over Suleman's duties until a permanent replacement is found.
While there are no major elections in Richland County in 2019, the presidential primaries are only a year away in the state. The agency also oversees all voter registration.
The commission is also likely to get new voting machines to replace the aging ones the county and state have been using for over 17 years.