Primary, General, & Special Elections

In order to vote in an upcoming election, residents must register to vote 30 days prior to the election. Election Day precincts are open from 7:00AM until 7:00PM on all Election Days. For more information on early voting, please visit the Early Voting page.

More information about registering and voting in Charleston County can be obtained from:

Charleston County Board of Voter Registration & Elections

Phone: (843) 744-VOTE (8683)

Office Hours: M – F | 8:30AM – 5PM

Additional Information

Elected Officials

County Officials
State Offices
Federal Offices
Municipalities

Related Links

Precincts & Polling Locations
Election Calendar
500 Foot Maps with Locations

Election Guide

Charleston County Official Local Voters' Pamphlet

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answer: Yes, but there are restrictions.

Inside the polling place: No campaigning is allowed. Candidates may be inside the polling place and talk to voters if they are not campaigning, intimidating voters, or interfering with the election process.

Within 500 feet of an entrance to a polling place: Candidates and campaign staff may campaign if they are not intimidating voters or interfering with the election process. However, no campaign literature, signs, or posters are allowed. Candidates are allowed to wear a badge no larger than 4.25" x 4.25" featuring only the candidate's name and office sought. Candidates must remove their badge upon entering a polling place.

Answer: False.

Once a voter has returned an absentee application, they are now an absentee voter and are designated as such, regardless of whether they turned in their absentee ballot. A designated absentee voter will be flagged on Election Day at the polling location. Our poll managers are trained on the procedures for challenging this type of voter.

Once the challenge is made, our office investigates the provisional ballot and sends information to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Answer: No.

The voting unit is never connected to the Internet. Additionally, the voting units are not connected to each other. Each is a standalone, self-contained unit.

Answer: This is our goal:

Serve our Charleston County community in a way that builds trust in government by conducting elections fairly, transparently, and in a manner that reflects the will of our citizens.

We believe that communication is key when conducting elections. We want you to be a part of that process. The best way to learn about what we do is to work with us during an election. Our office will continue to build trust by showing you how we conduct elections.

Answer: The State Election Commission has provided this answer:

Our Top Priority

The mission of our office is to ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to register to vote, participate in fair and impartial elections, and have the assurance that their votes will count. Fundamental to this mission is ensuring the security and integrity of elections in South Carolina. Elections face numerous threats from a wide variety of actors including nation states, individuals and organizations – all with various motives. We recognize these threats, and we want voters to know we have made it our top priority to take all reasonable measures to improve and protect the security and resilience of our state’s election infrastructure.

Our Security Team

To address these threats against critical infrastructure, the SEC has developed an unprecedented security partnership of state, federal and private cybersecurity professionals as well as state and federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides a multitude of resources and services including cyber hygiene scanning, risk and vulnerability assessments, and security training. DHS also provides communication and collaboration through information sharing, alerts, in-person support from cybersecurity and physical security advisors, and incident response services.

The S.C. Department of Administration, Division of Technology houses and secures the state’s voter registration system. The Division of Technology manages, monitors, and performs vulnerability scans for the statewide voter registration system and agency networks.

We have also partnered with a private cybersecurity firm to provide risk and vulnerability assessment, management and remediation, as well as advice on strengthening our security posture.

In addition, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC) provide information sharing and incident prevention and response support.

Our Approach

We are taking numerous actions that include installing and reconfiguring equipment and software, revising policies and procedures, and improving and expanding training and awareness initiatives. These actions are designed to ensure a strong and resilient election infrastructure that will continue to serve citizens in the face of any adversity.

Network Based Security – Networks are protected against threats using various tools and concepts including firewalls, intrusion prevention and detection systems, network sensors, 24/7 monitoring, data encryption, incident reporting mechanisms, software application patch management, two-factor user authentication, user password strength requirements, and user password expiration.

Risk and Vulnerability Assessments – Cyber and physical security assessments and penetration tests are performed to identify any vulnerabilities. All vulnerabilities, regardless of severity, are addressed immediately.

Training and Education – We work to establish a strong security culture by training election officials to follow security policies and procedures and to recognize cyber threats and attack methods including identifying phishing emails and other social engineering attacks. Users are required to complete cyber security training before being granted access to systems and on an ongoing basis to maintain access. The SEC conducts field audits to ensure election officials are following security policies and procedures.

Voting System Security – Before being used in a South Carolina election, the voting system was tested and certified by a testing laboratory approved by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and was tested by the SEC to ensure the system met the requirements of state law. Logic and accuracy tests are performed before every election to ensure the system is tallying votes correctly. Ballot-marking devices, scanners and computers used to tabulate results are never connected to the internet. Voting system security plans and procedures are in place to insulate the system from unauthorized access including secure storage, access logs, data encryption, and data transfer through secure endpoints. Election results are tallied and reported publicly at the precinct-level, then at the county and state levels providing multiple checkpoints in the process. Post-election audits are conducted prior to certification of an election.

Securing Future Elections

Security is a never-ending process. We remain vigilant as the election environment changes and new threats emerge. We must rise to meet those threats by establishing new layers of security to further build the resilience of our state’s election infrastructure.

Considering the significant efforts being made to secure our elections, we want you to go to the polls and vote with confidence knowing your vote matters, and your vote will count. Our democracy depends on it.

We believe that communication is key when conducting elections. We want you to be a part of that process. The best way to learn about what we do is to work with us during an election. Our office will continue to build trust by showing you how we conduct elections.

Once the challenge is made, our office investigates the provisional ballot and sends information to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Candidate's Corner

Resources

Municipal Candidate Filing Guide (2025)
Candidate Withdrawal Form
Candidate Withdrawal Policy
Election Calendar - What elections are coming up?
Election Guide (for Candidates)
Nonpartisan Filing Form
Partisan Filing Form
Petition Form
Voter Registration Form
SC State Election Commission
State Ethics Commission
Eligibility requirements to run for office
Who has filed as a Candidate?

Candidate Filing & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Answer: To get your name on the ballot, you must file a statement of intention of candidacy or petition, depending on the office.

Answer: Filing methods will vary based on the type of office sought.

Generally, candidates who are seeking a political party's nomination to run in a general or special election, or those who are filing for a nonpartisan office, will use a Statement of Intention of Candidacy.

For candidates looking to be nominated by petition, they must garner the valid signatures of at least 5% of the active, registered voters in the area the office represents. Some offices may have more specific filing requirements. Additional information can be found at SCVotes.gov | Candidates: South Carolina Election Commission.

Answer: Yes, under certain circumstances.

Per SC State Law Section 7-13-325, use of candidate's given name, derivative of, or nickname on ballot:

The name of a candidate authorized by law to appear on a ballot in a general, special, or primary election in this State for any office may be one of the following or a combination of them:

  1. the candidate's given name;
  2. a derivative of the candidate's given name properly acquired under the common law and used in good faith for honest purposes; or
  3. a nickname which bears no relation to the candidate's given name but which is used in good faith for honest purposes and does not exceed fifteen letters on the ballot.

A candidate wanting to use a derivative name or a nickname, as permitted by items (2) and (3), respectively, of this section, shall notify the authority responsible by law for conducting the election, in writing, before a deadline for receiving or certifying candidates' names for inclusion on the ballot, the name he wishes to have appear and shall present evidence required by the authority conducting the election that the name indicated is his derivative name or nickname.

Answer: No.

Per SC State Law Section 7-13-325, you must either use your given name, a derivative name, or nickname. The derivative name or nickname may not imply professional or social status, an office, or military rank.

Answer: Visit the South Carolina State Election Commission at SCVotes.SC.gov | Candidate Tracking System.

Answer: To withdraw, you must:

  1. Submit a signed and dated statement that specifies the office that was sought and the election the candidate had been participating in. The statement must clearly indicate that the candidate would like to withdraw.
  2. Submit the statement to the proper authority conducting the election. Statements of withdrawal for federal, statewide, and multi-county offices must be submitted to the State Election Commission. The Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections accepts statements of withdrawal for countywide and less-than-countywide offices, excluding State Senate and State House of Representatives seats. A copy of a withdrawal statement that was submitted to a political party and shared to our office will be accepted.

Elections Schedule

Election & Notices
Election Date(s)
Offices on Ballot
SC House 113 Special Primary Election
Registration Ends: 12/22/24 Election Day: 01/21/25 Run-Off Day: 02/04/25
SC House 113
SC House 113 Special Election
Registration Ends: 02/23/25 Election Day: 03/25/25 Run-Off Day: 02/04/25
SC House 113
Mount Pleasant Town Council Special Election
Registration Ends: 02/23/25 Election Day: 03/25/25 Run-Off Day: 02/04/25
Town Council Seat
North Charleston City Council Special Election
Registration Ends: 04/27/25 Election Day: 05/27/25 Run-Off Day: 10/18/25
City Council Seat
2025 Municipal Elections
Registration Ends: 10/05/25 Election Day: 11/04/25 Run-Off Day: 11/18/25
Multiple Positions

Elections Results

2025 election year results will be posted when available.

City of North Charleston Special Elections

SC House 113 and Town of Mt. Pleasant Special Elections

SC House 113 Special Primary

Statewide Primaries

Town of Lincolnville Special Election

SC House 109 Special Primary Election

Town of Kiawah Island Special Election

Democratic Presidential Preference Primary

Republican Presidential Preference Primary

SC House 109 and Summerville Town Council District 3 Special Elections

Town of Kiawah and City of Folly Beach Special Elections

Charleston Republican Runoff

Statewide General Election

City of Isle of Palms Runoff

2023 City of Charleston Runoff Results

2023 Folly Beach Runoff Results

2023 Municipal Elections Recount Results

2023 Municipal Elections

Senate 42 Special Election

Senate 42 Special Primary Runoff Recount

Town of Hollywood General Election

Town of Sullivans Island and Town of Meggett General Elections

School Board District 6/Folly Beach Special Elections

Senate 42 Special Primary

Senate 42 Special Primary Runoff

Municipal General Election

Municipal Runoff Elections

State House District 99 Republican Primary

State House District 99 Republican Primary Runoff

State House District 113 Special Primary

State House District 113 Special Election

Town of Sullivan's Island General

Town of Awendaw Special Election

Presidential Election

Offices won by write-in entry:
Audit Logs

Primary Election

Audit Logs

Republican Presidential Preference Primary

Senate 41 Primary Election

Audit Logs

Senate 41 Primary Election Runoff

Audit Logs

Senate 41 Special Rep Primary

Audit Logs

Senate 41 Special Election

Audit Logs

Folly Beach Municipal General

Audit Logs

James Island Municipal Election

Audit Logs

Kiawah General Election

Audit Logs

PSD Runoff Election

Town of James Island Incorporation

Audit Logs

Town of Mount Pleasant Special

Audit Logs

There are no files available at this time.

Presidential Preference Republican Primary (January 19, 2008)

Presidential Preference Democratic Primary (January 26, 2008)

General Election

House District 111 Primary Runoff

Town of Mount Pleasant Special Referendum

North Charleston Municipal Election Results

Republican Primary - October 16, 2007

Republican Primary Runoff - October 30, 2007

Special Election House 94 - December 4, 2007

Municipal Elections - November 6, 2007

View Summary Reports View Summary Reports