The magic number for Miriam Birdsong is 750.

That is how many signatures of registered voters in Dorchester County District 6 she needs to appear on the November General Election ballot as a petition candidate for the county council seat representing that district.

"This county is changing, Summerville is growing and prospering and St. George is dying," Birdsong said. "Not everybody has access to the resources and opportunities, and that needs to change."

Birdsong, a Democrat, was caught up in the candidate certification snafu that purged so many others because she said she followed flawed instructions when she filed to run as a candidate. While she is not happy about her decertification, she has moved on and is concentrating all her efforts now on collecting signatures.

"I don't want you to sign my petition because you're going to vote for me," she told a Dorchester County Democratic Party breakfast meeting Saturday. "I want you to sign my petition because you believe that voters deserve a choice."

Birdsong said her first priority if elected will be to make changes to building and development policies, so that infrastructure like roads, electricity, water and sewage and drainage systems are in place before new buildings go up.

"There are people now looking at putting up a bunch of spec buildings, and to me that's a waste," she said. "The new Commerce Parkway is beautiful and has all the infrastructure in place, put new buildings there, don't throw one up in the middle of nowhere and expect people to come."