Mount Pleasant Election Guide

Here's your guide to the candidates, issues and topics that are guiding this year's election.

WHERE TO VOTE
The most important thing to know for election day is where to vote. Most polling locations remain the same last November, but double check before heading out.

BALLOT PREVIEW
In addition to candidates, you'll also be voting on several referendum questions. Take a look at all the ballots before you head to the polls.

EARLY VOTING
South Carolina doesn't specifically allow for early voting, but voters can cast their ballots early for roughly 70 approved reasons, at the county election office in North Charleston up until Monday, Nov. 5. One of the reasons is that you will be working on Election Day, so most working people qualify.

A record number of South Carolina residents took advantage of early absentee voting, so many that the system was overwhelmed.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE
South Carolina is not being contested by Democrats this year, though some polls suggest the outcome could be close. Democrats haven't carried the state since 1976 when Jimmy Carter won the White House.

LOCAL ELECTIONS
While there is little doubt where South Carolina's electoral college votes will go, in Charleston County at least, several races are competitive. Take a look at the ballot to see exactly which races you'll be voting on.

CHARLESTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Mount Pleasant's seats on the county school board are not up for election this year, but six seats will appear on the ballot. Voters in Mount Pleasant get to decide who fills those seats in north area, West Ashley, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island and a seat that represents unincorporated Charleston County.

Other Contested Races

The race for Charleston County Auditor is one of the few other competitive local races. Democrat Peter Tecklenberg and Republican Paul Gawrych both managed to avoid being removed from the ballot.

in a Republican primary for the position.

The Virtual Shoo-ins

Thanks in part to the ballot mess, and in part to lack of interest several races on November's ballot will be uncontested, leaving the incumbent, or lone certified candidates as the all-but-assured winners.

Here they are:
Al Cannon - Charleston County Sheriff
Julie Armstrong - Charleston County Clerk of Court
Rae Wooten - Charleston County Coroner
Andrew C. Smith - Charleston County Treasurer
Colleen Condon - Charleston County Council District 7
Mickey Floyd - Soil and Water District Commission
Chris Fraser - Charleston County Consolidated School Board (to fill an unexpired term)
Rodney Lynn Lewis - Charleston County Constituent School Board District 10

Write-ins or Nobody

Voters can still write-in a candidate of their choice, and in some cases they will have to write-in someone if they want to vote in the race at all because no candidates appear on the ballot.

Across Charleston County a total of 12 races have no party or petition candidates, according to Board of Elections and Voter Registration Executive Director Joe Debney.

Most of those races are for various Charleston County School Board seats and one is for a St. Andrews Public Service District seat (two St. Andrews PSD seats are available in total, Perot is on the ballot for one of them).