Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone: (843) 958-4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number: 3053

Date: September 23, 2009

Municipal Elections to be Held Tuesday, Nov. 3, Register to Vote by Saturday, Oct. 3

            Officials hope uniform election date will increase voter turnout

The Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration office will be conducting or assisting municipal elections in the following municipalities on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009: 

• City of Charleston (council districts 2,4,6,8,10 and12)

• City of Isle of Palms (mayor/three council seats)

• Town of Awendaw (mayor/three four-year council seats/one two-year council seat/question)

• Town of McClellanville (mayor/four council seats)

• Town of Mount Pleasant (mayor/four council seats)

• Town of Ravenel (three council seats)

• Town of Rockville (mayor/four council seats)

• Town of Seabrook Island (mayor/four council seats)

Voters in eight of the 16 municipalities within Charleston County will have the opportunity to cast ballots for the governing body of their municipality.

In an effort to create a uniform date for all municipal elections, the Board of Elections and Voter Registration has asked each municipality to set the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year as Election Day.

“The percentage of voters who participate in these elections is typically very low,” said Marilyn Bowers, Executive Director of Charleston County’s Board of Elections and Voter Registration. “We are hoping that allowing voters to vote on this uniform election date will create a larger turnout of voters to select the mayor and/or council member who represents them on the local level.”

Voters need to prepare for Election Day, so the Board of Elections and Voter Registration has the following questions to help you know if you are ready:

Are you registered to vote?

If you are not already registered to vote in Charleston County, the last day to register will be Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. All registration-by-mail forms must be postmarked no later than this date.

Is your address correct on your voter registration card? 

You can look up your voter registration record at www.scvotes.org to see if your name and/or address is up-to-date or to see where the polling location is for your correct precinct. You can also call (843) 744-8683 to check on the status of your voter registration.

Do you need to vote prior to Election Day?

Absentee ballots are available at the Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office located at 4367 Headquarters Road in North Charleston. Voters who will be unable to cast their ballot at their local polling location on Election Day can cast their ballot at the office during normal business hours. Normal business hours are from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday, through 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009.

You can also request the ballot to be mailed to you by calling (843) 744-8683 or by sending an e-mail to absentee@charlestoncounty.org. An application will be sent when your request is received, and the ballot will be sent upon receipt of the completed application. The last day to mail a ballot is Friday, Oct. 30, 2009.

Do you know who the candidates are?

Sample ballots may be viewed at http://vote.charlestoncounty.org. Voters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the ballot prior to Election Day so they will be prepared to vote when they enter the voting booth.

For more information, visit http://vote.charlestoncounty.org, call the Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration at (843) 744-8683, or send an e-mail to bevr@charlestoncounty.org.