COLUMBIA, S.C. — If you want to vote in upcoming municipal elections in South Carolina, you only have a short time left to register to vote if you haven't already.
On November 5, 2019, cities and counties across the state will be holding elections. (You can check the election calendar at scvotes.org to find out which elections will be held in your area.)
According to South Carolina law, persons wishing to vote must be registered to vote at least 30 days before the election. That means people have until Saturday, October 5.
Citizens who wish to vote in the election have three ways to register by this weekend's deadline:
- In-person at the your county registration office. In Richland County, that's at 2020 Hampton Street by Saturday, October 5, 2019. The office will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to register last minute voters. In Lexington County, the voter's registration office is at 605 W Main Street, Suite 105.
- Register online or update your information at www.scvotes.org by Sunday, October 6
- Mail in a voter registration form -- postmarked by Monday, October 7 -- to your county registration office. In Richland County, it is Richland County Elections and Voter Registration Office, PO Box 192, Columbia SC 29202
The absentee period will begin Monday, October 7, and will include both in-person absentee as well as mail-in absentee.
For voter registration and absentee voting inquiries, please contact your local county office. In Richland County, it is the Richland County Elections and Voter Registration Office at (803) 576-2240; Lexington County, (803) 332-8361.
Residents of the City of Columbia will go to the polls on November 5 to vote for seats in District 2, District 3, and the At-Large district currently represented by Howard Duvall. Council members elected on November 5 will serve a four-year term ending on December 31, 2023.
- Candidates in District 2 include Ed McDowell (incumbent), Catherine Bruce, and Anna Fonesca
- Candidates in District 3 include Moe Baddourah (incumbent), Will Brennan, and John Loveday
- Candidates in the At-Large district include Duvall (incumbent), Amadeo Geere, Dylan Gunnels, and Sara Middleton
Confirm your district at columbiasc.gov/city-council/districts.
Richland County residents of Irmo, Arcadia Lakes, and Blythewood will also decide town councils; as will residents of Batesburg-Leesville, Irmo, Chapin, Summit, Pineridge, Pelion, Swansea, Springdale, and West Columbia in Lexington County.
There are also municipal elections in Orangeburg, Fairfield, Calhoun, and Kershaw Counties.