Charleston County Voting Information

Voters head to the polls Tuesday to nominate candidates to fill the vacant First Congressional District seat previously held by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

Democrats will decide between two candidates, Elizabeth Colbert Busch and Ben Frazier. Republicans have a crowded field of 16 candidates from which to choose.

Before you head to the polls, take note of these important websites and poll information:

• First Congressional District Special Primary Election information
• Photo ID information
• Sample Democratic ballot
• Sample Republican ballot
• Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration main site

The Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration (BEVR) office is providing information to residents who will vote in the 1st Congressional District Special Primary Election.

The election will be held on Tuesday, March 19, and polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Any necessary runoffs will be held on Tuesday, April 2. The last day to register to vote in this election was Feb. 16.

On Thursday, March 21, the Charleston County Board of Canvassers will hold a hearing at 10 a.m. to determine the validity of all provisional ballots casts in the primary election, and to certify election results. This hearing will be held at the elections office, 4367 Headquarters Road, North Charleston, SC.

The list of precincts and polling places can be found here.

There are two polling place changes to be aware of for voters in Charleston County: 

Precinct

Previous Location

New Location

Address

Mt. Pleasant 10

Mt. Pleasant 11

Mt. Pleasant 12

Whitesides Elementary

Sullivan’s Island Elementary

1120 Rifle Range Road

St. Andrews 20

Jewish Community Center

West Ashley Middle School

1776 William Kennerty Drive

The other important change for this primary election is that Photo ID is in effect for Charleston County, and BEVR Executive Director Joseph Debney said the County office has only seen about 200 people come in to get IDs. He wants to make sure everyone is aware of the new change, and is striving to get out information that the S.C. Election Commission has provided.

Photo ID – What U.S. House District 1 Voters Need to Know 

Voters need to be aware of new rules for providing photo ID at the polls in the March 19 Primaries for U.S. House of Representatives District 1. Under new rules that took effect on January 1, 2013, all voters will be asked to provide one of the following types of Photo ID at their polling place:

• S.C. Driver’s License
• S.C. DMV Identification Card
• S.C. Voter Registration Card with a Photo
• Federal Military ID
• U.S. Passport

Voters who already have one of the IDs above are ready to vote. They need to be sure to bring their ID with them to their polling place.

Voters who forget to bring their ID with them to vote may vote a provisional ballot that will count only if they show their Photo ID to the county election commission prior to certification of the election. County election commissions will certify the U.S. House District 1 Primary on Thursday, March 21. Check locally for specific meeting times.

Voters who don’t have a Photo ID can make their voting experience as fast and easy as possible by getting one before voting. Voters can get a free Photo ID from their county voter registration office by providing their name, date of birth, and last four digits of their social security number.

Voters who can’t get a Photo ID must bring their non-photo voter registration card (old card without photo) with them to the polls. They will be allowed to vote after signing an affidavit stating they have a reasonable impediment to obtaining photo ID. The reasonable impediment could be a religious objection to being photographed, a disability or illness, work schedule, lack of transportation, family responsibilities or any other obstacle the voter finds reasonable.

For more information about the state’s Photo ID requirements.