By Lori Wynn

Whoever wins the Republican nomination on July 20 for the District 4 seat on the Bryan County Board of Commissioners might end up having some competition in November.

Bryan County Voter Registrar Warren Miller confirmed Thursday that Carter Infinger of Richmond Hill has submitted a petition of signatures from people who would like to see Infinger’s name on the Election Day ballot as an independent candidate.

Butch Broome and Chris Morse are currently vying for the seat currently held by Toby Roberts, who is stepping down. Both Broom and Morse qualified in May with the local Republican Party to seek election to the position, and Republican voters will decide on Primary Election Day, July 20, which of the two will be on the ballot in November.

No Democratic candidates signed up to run during the qualifying period for local seats in Bryan County. But to appear on the November ballot as an independent, a petition bearing the signatures of at least 5 percent of registered voters in the district in question must be turned into the county probate judge by 5 p.m. Friday.

Miller said Infinger’s petition was given Wednesday afternoon to Bryan County Probate Judge Sam Davis.

He said there are about 3,700 registered voters in District 4, which means Infinger’s petition will need at least 185 qualifying names to get him on the ballot this fall. The petition consists of about 25 pages, he said.

“We’re pulling voter registration cards (for names on the petition), comparing signatures and making sure they are eligible to vote and eligible to vote in that district,” Miller said.

Though the voter registration has until August to complete this task, Miller said he hopes to have it finished much sooner.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve done this,” he said. “Hopefully we will have this done one day next week.”