Blackstock, South Carolina Public Records

The deadline falls 30 days before any election. To qualify, applicants must be U.S. Citizens, at least 18 by Election Day, South Carolina and Chester County residents, and not under a mental incompetency court order. A valid South Carolina driver's license number or Social Security number's last four digits is required. As an unincorporated community, Blackstock holds no municipal elections for mayor or town council since no incorporated government exists. Instead, residents participate in Chester County elections for positions including county council, sheriff, coroner, auditor, and treasurer. They also vote in South Carolina legislative races for State Senate and House districts representing the county, statewide contests for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and other constitutional officers, plus federal elections for President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. The state conducts county and state elections in even-numbered years, with primaries generally held in June and general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Residents can locate their polling place using the South Carolina Election Commission's lookup tool at https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/ by entering their name and birth date or county and voter registration number. Assignments are based on residential address and precinct. Early voting is offered at the Chester County Voter Registration and Elections Office starting 30 days before Election Day through the day before the election, weekdays during business hours and select Saturdays. During the November 2024 presidential election, Chester County recorded approximately 63% voter turnout, with roughly 11,500 ballots cast from about 18,200 registered voters countywide. Precinct-level results, including those from Blackstock-area precincts, are published on the Chester County and South Carolina Election Commission websites after certification. For the November 3, 2026 general election, several significant races will appear on ballots. Neither U.S. Senate seat is up that year, Lindsey Graham's next election is in 2028, as is Tim Scott's. All four U.S. House seats will be contested, with the community falling in South Carolina's 5th Congressional District. Governor Henry McMaster's seat will be on the ballot in 2026. The election will also include all 124 South Carolina House seats and 23 of 46 Senate seats, along with Chester County council members, the sheriff, and other county constitutional officers with expiring terms. Public election records in South Carolina include voter registration lists available for purchase for political purposes, campaign finance reports searchable at https://apps.sc.gov/PublicReporting through the South Carolina Ethics Commission, candidate filings and certifications, precinct results, and absentee ballot statistics. The state offers absentee voting by mail for voters meeting specific criteria: age 65 or older, physical disability, expected absence from the county on Election Day, government employment requiring absence, certified illness or injury, or hospital admission within four days before the election. Applications are available through the Chester County Elections Office or online at https://www.scvotes.gov/. Completed applications must arrive by 5:00 p.m. The Friday before Election Day for mail-in ballots. South Carolina requires excuse-based absentee voting and does not permit universal mail-in voting.