Qualifying ends for Grovetown and Harlem elections

Date: August 21, 2025

Qualifying has ended for the upcoming Grovetown and Harlem elections.

Grovetown has two city council seats up for election. The following people qualified:

  • Jacquline Rivera-Player
  • Kay Turner
  • Sylvia Martin (Incumbent)
  • Veronica Simpkins

Harlem has two city council seats and the mayor seat up for election. The following people qualified:

  • Roxanne Whitaker (qualified for mayor, incumbent)
  • Joshua Brantley (qualified for council seat)
  • Dustin Driggers (qualified for council seat)
  • Tara McNaylor (qualified for council seat)

John Thigpen and Daniel Bellavance, the incumbent council members, did not qualify to run for another term. With no one else qualifying for mayor, Whitaker will serve another four terms.

November election information

For the November election, advanced in-person voting will take place Monday through Friday, Oct. 14-31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the G3 building in Evans and the former Euchee Creek Library. There will be Saturday voting on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at both locations. Election day will be Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at regular voting precincts.

The absentee by mail application period is Aug. 18-24.

Election Day will be Nov. 4 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at regular voting precincts.

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The Author

Stephanie Hill has been a journalist for over 10 years. She is a graduate of Greenbrier High School, graduated from Augusta University with a degree in journalism, and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Mass Communication. She has previously worked at The Panola Watchman in Carthage, Texas, The White County News in Cleveland, Georgia, and The Aiken Standard in Aiken, S.C. She has experience covering cities, education, crime, and lifestyle reporting. She covers Columbia County government and the cities of Harlem and Grovetown. She has won multiple awards for her writing and photos.

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