WINNSBORO — The Town of Winnsboro is preparing for Election Day once again with the Municipal Election only a few months away. The General Election for the town will be held April 2 for the offices of Mayor, City Council District 2, and City Council District 4.

Persons qualified to run for mayor must reside in the Town of Winnsboro City Limits and must be properly registered to vote. At the closing of the filing period on Jan. 21 three candidates had submitted their names and information. Among the three running is current Mayor Roger A. Gaddy, current Town Councilmen Bill Haslett, and resident Michael L. Davis.

The City County District 2 seat has two challengers Stan Klaus and Sonya Cookie Kennedy. Incumbent Jack R. Wilkes will be running for the City Council District 4 seat against Pamela L. Smith. All the candidates will be certified by the Fairfield Election Commission within 30 days.

On April 2, only citizens living in the Town of Winnsboro City Limits and who are properly registered will be allowed to vote for mayor. Those voting for City Council District 2 and District 4 must live in those districts. Residents who want to vote in the upcoming election must be registered by March 4.

This will be the first election in the town since the Jan. 1 passage of the Photo ID bill which requires voters to show one of the following Photo IDs at your polling place: S.C. driver’s license, ID card issued by S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, S.C. Voter Registration Card with photo, federal military ID or U.S. Passport.

According to SCvotes.org, those who do not currently have one of the required forms of identification can get a voter registration card with a photo from the county voter registration and elections office by providing their date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters can also obtain a DMV ID card at the local DMV office.

Those who already have a photo ID don’t need to get a new voter registration card. The State Election Commission is holding workshops.

The Fairfield County Voter Registration and Elections office will hold the first of two workshops at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 to provide information and answer questions regarding the new rules for voting. The workshop will be held at the Fairfield County Administration Building in the County Council Chambers located at 350 Columbia Road in Winnsboro.