Cheraw, South Carolina Public Records

The Cheraw Police Department, accessible at http://www.visitcheraw.com/police_services.html, is the primary law enforcement agency serving the town. Residents can find information about the department's services, contact details, and resources related to public safety. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) also maintains a criminal records search portal at https://catch.sled.sc.gov/, which can be utilized by individuals seeking access to statewide criminal history information.

Cheraw voters' election administration is handled by the Chesterfield County Voter Registration and Elections Office, located at 200 West Main Street, Chesterfield, SC 29709 (phone: 843-623-2573, website: chesterfieldcounty.sc.gov/elections). This office manages voter registration, maintains voter rolls, coordinates polling places, processes absentee ballots, and certifies election results for all municipal, county, state, and federal elections affecting Cheraw residents.

South Carolina residents can register to vote online through the South Carolina Election Commission's website at scVOTES.gov, which provides online registration, voter registration status lookup, and sample ballot viewing. To register, applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old by the next election, residents of South Carolina and the county where registering, and not under a court order declaring them mentally incompetent. The registration deadline is 30 days before any election. South Carolina requires photo ID to vote; acceptable forms include SC driver's license, DMV ID card, passport, military ID, or voter registration card with photo issued by the county elections office.

Cheraw operates as a council-manager city government with a mayor and six city council members. Municipal elections for mayor and city council are held in odd-numbered years, typically in November. The next municipal election for Cheraw is scheduled for November 2025, when voters will decide the mayor's seat and council positions. Candidates must file with the Chesterfield County Elections Office, and municipal races are nonpartisan. Information about Cheraw municipal candidates, local referendum questions, and city election results are available through both the county elections office and Cheraw City Hall (843-537-8420).

Cheraw residents can find their assigned polling location by using the "Find My Polling Place" tool at scVOTES.gov/south-carolina-voter-registration-information or by contacting the Chesterfield County Elections Office. Polling places are assigned based on residential address and precinct boundaries. Cheraw contains several precincts with polling locations typically at schools, community centers, or public buildings.

South Carolina public election records include voter registration lists (available for purchase by qualified requesters for political purposes), campaign finance disclosure reports (searchable at ethics.sc.gov for state and county races), candidate filing information, and precinct-level election results. The State Election Commission publishes comprehensive election results at scVOTES.gov showing vote totals by county and precinct.

In the November 2024 presidential election, Chesterfield County recorded approximately 16,500 votes cast, representing roughly 55% turnout of registered voters. The county historically trends conservative in partisan elections, though municipal Cheraw elections are nonpartisan.

On November 3, 2026, Cheraw and Chesterfield County voters will decide several significant races. South Carolina holds gubernatorial elections in midterm years; Governor Henry McMaster's term (or his successor) will be on the ballot in 2026. All South Carolina state legislature seats are up for election every two years; Cheraw voters will elect representatives for their State House district (District 54) and State Senate district (District 32). Chesterfield County offices on the 2026 ballot will include County Council seats, Sheriff, Auditor, Treasurer, and other constitutional offices, most of which serve four-year terms. South Carolina's U.S. Senate seats are not up in 2026 (both Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott have terms extending beyond 2026). Depending on the election cycle, school board trustees and soil and water conservation district supervisors may also appear on the ballot. Special district and referendum questions may be added to the ballot depending on local government decisions made before filing deadlines.

South Carolina offers absentee voting for voters who meet specific criteria: anyone 65 or older, those who will be absent from the county on Election Day, persons with physical disabilities, government employees required to work on Election Day, and those observing religious holidays. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Chesterfield County Voter Registration and Elections Office; applications are available online at scVOTES.gov. Absentee ballots can be returned by mail (must be received by 7:00 PM on Election Day) or delivered in person to the elections office during business hours. South Carolina does not have universal no-excuse mail voting; voters must qualify under one of the statutory categories. Early in-person voting is not available in South Carolina except for absentee voting at the elections office for qualified voters beginning 30 days before Election Day.