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COLUMBIA -- More dirty tactics arose as voters headed to the polls in Tuesday's run-off elections.

Last Friday, both mayoral candidates faced attacks.

And now on election day, candidates in both the mayoral and District IV races were up against more negative strategies.

Kirkman Finlay told us he was handed a sample ballot by campaign workers for District IV candidate Tony Mizzell.

The wallet-size piece of paper listed both races.

However, for the mayoral race Steve Benjamin's name was highlighted and Finlay's name was blurred out.

Mizzell's name was also highlighted and his opponent, Leona Plaugh, was blurred.

"We've heard over and over again, that this was going to be a positive campaign, yet based on issues and then all of a sudden, to have sample ballots with your name crossed out strikes me as neither issue oriented or positive," Kirkman Finlay said Tuesday.

"I understand things like this do happen in campaigns, but for me, I've stayed positive," District IV candidate Leona Plaugh told us.  "I've stayed with the issues and I think that what people of District IV are interested in."

Meanwhile, Steve Benjamin said he was unaware of the ballots, and even Tony Mizzell, whose campaign workers were allegedly handing them out, said he was not affiliated with what they were doing.

"When Kirkman notified me, I immediately set out to find out who was doing what, and in fact, I approached one gentleman and asked him who he was working for and he said the Benjamin-Mizzell campaign," Mizzell says.  "I said, well I'm  Mizzell and I would like to get those ballots back from you."

Mizzell said he collected several stacks of the sample ballots.

As the polls come to a close, rely on MidlandsConnect and our Politics Page for the latest results and news from the election.