South Carolina Republicans want the state's highest court to stop a recount of votes in Richland County.
COLUMBIA (WACH/AP) -- South Carolina Republicans want the state's highest court to stop a recount of votes in Richland County.
The state party made the request to the Supreme Court on Friday, a day after a circuit judge ordered that ballots and voting machines in Richland County be guarded by state police while state election officials reviewed them.
County election officials had planned to certify election results Friday, but that process is on hold.
State Democrats had originally sought a recount of votes in the disputed House District 75 race.
Richland County's preliminary tally shows Republican Kirkman Finlay as the race's unofficial winner over Democrat Joe McCulloch.
The recount was expanded county-wide several hours later.
A cascade of Election Day problems delayed the county's unofficial results until late Wednesday. Officials cited long voting lines, too few machines and broken counting scanners. Some voters reportedly waited up to six hours.
County officials have not explained how the problems occurred. Election officials deferred comment to Richland County's legislative delegation, who did not comment on the request.
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