Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
In the words of former U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill, “all politics is local.” And on Nov. 4, tens of thousands of South Carolina voters will head to the polls to choose mayors, councils and school board members, and vote on issues impacting their communities. In Charleston, half of the City Council seats are up, as is one of the three Commissioners of Public Works that oversee the Charleston Water System. In neighboring Mount Pleasant, voters will decide whether to grant incumbent Mayor Will Haynie a third term leading the state’s fourth-largest municipality. Voters in Folly Beach are poised to select a new mayor after longtime incumbent Tom Goodwin announced he isn’t seeking a fourth term. Residents in the town of James Island are electing two new members to their newly-expanded town council, going from four members to six members. The S.C. Election Commission counts some 245 local elections happening across the Palmetto State on Nov. 4. Here’s what you need to know before heading to the polls. When, where and how do I vote? Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day. You must be a registered voter to cast a ballot. There is no same-day registration in South Carolina. That deadline was Oct. 5. You can check your registration and find your polling place on the S.C. Election Commission’s website at scvotes.gov. At the top of the homepage, click the word "Voters." Then, click “Check Your Voter Registration” or “Find My Polling Place.” You can also contact your county voter registration office directly. Voters are required to present a current and valid photo ID to receive a ballot. Valid forms of identification are: S.C. driver’s license or DMV-issued identification card S.C. voter registration card with a photo military ID U.S. passport or passport ID card The application window for absentee voting is closed. If you received an absentee ballot for the Nov. 4 elections, it must be received by your county’s voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. When returning an absentee ballot in person, you will also need to present one of the valid forms of photo ID. You can find more information on absentee voting at scvotes.gov/voters/absentee-voting. If you want to view a sample ballot ahead of going to your polling location, you can do so by going to scvotes.gov and clicking the word “Voters” at the top of the homepage before clicking “Get My Sample Ballot.” The League of Women Voters also provides information about the candidates running in your local elections, which you can view by going to vote411.org and entering your address. CARTA will once again be offering free rides to the polls for Charleston-area voters, spokesperson Matthew Spath confirmed to The Post and Courier. And if you were one of the more than 20,000 people to cast their votes early, you can skip the polls on Tuesday. Who’s on the ballot in the Holy City? Half of the 12 seats on the Charleston City Council are up on Tuesday. Only one incumbent is running unopposed and another decided not to seek reelection. Three council races have bubbled to the top as being more competitive. Charleston voters will also decide whether to reelect Kathleen G. Wilson for Commissioner of Public Works. The James Islander is running against West Ashley resident Barbara Dungee Acobe, who retired in 2022 after more than four decades working with the Charleston Water System’s Board of Commissioners. The city council and public works races are nonpartisan. What about Mount Pleasant? Across the Cooper River, Mount Pleasant voters will elect four council members and decide whether to grant incumbent Mayor Will Haynie a third term in office. Unlike in Charleston, all of Mount Pleasant’s council seats are at-large, meaning all registered voters in the town can cast a ballot in those races. Of the four council seats up on Nov. 4, three incumbents are running for reelection: John Iacofano, Gary Santos and Mike Tinkey. Councilwoman G.M. Whitley is not running for a third term. The other six candidates running for town council are Alex Crosby, Jenny DeSart, Brianna Harmon, Perry Rourk, Craig Russack and Kathryn Whitaker. For the top job, Haynie is facing off against political newcomer Curt Thomas, who has served both as an S.C. state trooper and as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. All of the positions up for election are nonpartisan. What are island voters deciding? Three of the sea islands in Charleston County will be choosing their next mayor. On Sullivan’s Island, incumbent Mayor Pat O’Neil is running for reelection unopposed.
