Early voting is ongoing for council seats in two Lexington County municipalities.

Both Gaston and West Columbia will elect council members Jan. 17, with Gaston holding a regularly scheduled election for two seats and West Columbia holding a special election to fill the District 3 seat vacated in August by Casey Hallman, who is moving away from the city.

No candidates have filed for the Gaston seats, though incumbents Charles Sharpe and Jimmy Cox are running write-in campaigns. Sharpe hopes to secure a second term, while Cox is trying for his third.

In West Columbia, three people – Bobby Horton (formerly the city’s mayor), George Crowe and Ashley Johnson – have filed for the open seat. The winner will serve out the remainder of Hallman’s vacated term, set to expire in November 2025.

The West Columbia election will be the first to be held since the city instituted a new map for the city’s council districts in August. Hallman’s resignation forced the city to expedite the process to be ready for the special election.

Early voting began Jan. 3 and will end on Jan. 13. Early ballots can be cast at the Lexington County Registration and Elections Office (605 W. Main St.)  from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Election day voting will take place at local precincts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.