Blythewood, South Carolina Public Records

New residents can also register in person at the Richland County elections office, any DMV location, or designated voter registration drives. As an incorporated town, Blythewood holds municipal elections for mayor and four council members who serve on staggered terms under a council-manager form of government. Municipal elections typically occur in even-numbered years, with the next scheduled for November 2026 when voters will decide council seats. Residents can find information about municipal races, candidate filings, and local issues through the Town of Blythewood at www.townofblythewood.com or by calling Town Hall at 803-754-1888. For federal, state, and county elections, residents vote at polling places assigned by the Richland County elections office. Voters can look up their specific polling location, view sample ballots, and check registration status at www.scVotes.gov using the "Find My Polling Place" tool or by contacting the elections office directly. In the November 2024 presidential election, Richland County reported approximately 58% voter turnout with over 160,000 ballots cast out of approximately 275,000 registered voters, while the town's precincts generally showed turnout consistent with or slightly above the county average. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Blythewood and Richland County voters will decide several significant races. South Carolina does not have a U.S. Senate seat up that year (Senator Lindsey Graham's term expires in 2026, but that election occurred in 2020, with his seat not up again until 2026; Senator Tim Scott's seat is up in 2028). However, voters will elect their U.S. Representative for South Carolina's 5th Congressional District, which includes the town. All seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives will be on the ballot, along with half of the state Senate seats under staggered four-year terms. Various Richland County Council seats will be contested, along with county constitutional officers including Sheriff and Clerk of Court if those terms expire. The town's mayor and council seats will also be decided, along with any school board positions. Absentee voting in South Carolina requires an application stating one of the specific statutory reasons: age 65 or older, physical disability, work obligations on Election Day, absences from county, certified illness, death of immediate family member within three days of election, or serving as an election official. Absentee ballot applications are available at www.scVotes.gov or from the Richland County elections office. Completed applications must be received by 5:00 PM the Friday before the election for mail ballots, though voters can request emergency absentee ballots under limited circumstances. The state does not offer no-excuse mail voting. Early voting (in-person absentee) is available at the Richland County elections office and designated satellite locations beginning approximately two weeks before Election Day. South Carolina public records law makes certain election records publicly accessible. Voter registration lists, excluding Social Security numbers and dates of birth, are available for purchase for political purposes. Campaign finance disclosure reports for state and local candidates are searchable at www.ethics.sc.gov, maintained by the State Ethics Commission. Candidate filing information and qualifying documents are available from the Richland County elections office for county races and from the State Election Commission for state races. Precinct-level election results are posted at www.scVotes.gov and www.rcgov.us/elections following certification. Election records requests are handled under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq, the state Freedom of Information Act.