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Richmond School Board Runoff to Decide District 3 Seat

Voters will pick between two candidates on a Dec. 1 runoff after a split ballot created by a vacancy.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Administration

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a squat brick civic building with two arched doorways and a flagpole on a red-clay lawn, evoking a pending local governance decision.
Richmond County voters will return December 1 to choose between Dr. Kenyatta Brown and Dr. Carol Yancy for the District 3 school board seat after a split special election. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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A Dec. 1 runoff will decide the Richmond County school board District 3 seat, with Dr. Kenyatta Brown and Dr. Carol Yancy as the top two finishers in a four-candidate race. The same two candidates appear twice on the ballot because the seat was vacated by the June 23 death of incumbent Walter Eubanks.

Why it matters

Because Richmond County Board of Education regulations lack a protocol for installing an interim member without a vote, the vacancy was filled through a special election rather than an appointment. Voters could end up choosing one candidate to serve through December and the other starting in January.

The runoff ballot lists 'Board of Education District 3' and 'Special Board of Education District 3,' each featuring the same two candidates. Early voting is set for Nov. 23-25, likely at a single site at the Augusta Municipal Building, and absentee requests are due by Nov. 20.

The players

Richmond County Board of Education

The elected body governing the Richmond County public school system, whose regulations lack a protocol for appointing interim members without a vote.

Dr. Kenyatta Brown

One of two candidates advancing to the District 3 runoff after finishing first in the four-candidate field.

Dr. Carol Yancy

One of two candidates advancing to the District 3 runoff after finishing second in the four-candidate field.

The details

The elections office scheduled a special election for Tuesday, Nov. 3 on the next available date after the vacancy, and no candidate won a majority in District 3. Voters will therefore return on Dec. 1 to resolve the seat in a runoff.

Timeline

  1. June 23: Incumbent Walter Eubanks died, vacating the District 3 seat.

  2. Tuesday, Nov. 3: Special election and midterm elections held; no majority winner in District 3.

  3. Nov. 20: Final day to request absentee ballots for the runoff.

  4. Nov. 23-25: Early voting period for the runoff.

  5. Dec. 1: Runoff election for the District 3 seat.

Season Trajectory

The lack of an interim-appointment protocol in Richmond County Board of Education regulations is why this vacancy required a special election followed by a runoff. The result is a seat that could be occupied by two different people within a single calendar year.

Voters in District 3 should note that early voting runs Nov. 23-25 and absentee requests are due by Nov. 20. Because the ballot lists two overlapping items, residents should check both entries before casting their vote.

The takeaway

Vacancies on local boards can split a single seat across two terms, so voters should pay attention to both ballot items on the Dec. 1 runoff. Checking the early voting schedule ahead of time can help avoid last-minute confusion.

What happens next

The Dec. 1 runoff will determine who holds the District 3 seat, with early voting running Nov. 23-25 beforehand.

Further reading

For broader context on how local school boards are run, explore Administration coverage.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Augusta Chronicle.

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