Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Public Records

South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act establishes the framework for accessing these documents, balancing public transparency against the need to protect certain sensitive information from disclosure.

South Carolina residents can register online through the South Carolina Election Commission's website at https://www.scvotes.gov/south-carolina-voter-registration-information, by mail, or in person at the Horry County elections office. Registration closes 30 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, South Carolina residents, at least 18 years old by election day, and not under court order declaring them mentally incompetent. A South Carolina driver's license or DMV ID number is required for online registration. The city operates under a council-manager government with a mayor and six council members elected from single-member districts. Municipal elections take place in odd-numbered years, with the next city elections scheduled for November 2025. Information about local candidates, ballot questions, and city measures appears on the City of Myrtle Beach website and through the Horry County elections office. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the state's polling place locator at https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/ by entering their name and date of birth or county and precinct number. South Carolina law opens certain election records to public access, including voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed with the State Ethics Commission at https://ethics.sc.gov, candidate filing information, and precinct-level election results. In the November 2024 presidential election, Horry County reported approximately 60% voter turnout with over 150,000 ballots cast from roughly 250,000 registered voters, with results showing strong Republican performance consistent with recent election cycles. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, voters throughout the area will decide several significant races. All South Carolina state legislative seats - State Senate and House of Representatives - are up for election, along with statewide constitutional officers including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and other executive branch positions, all serving four-year terms. No U.S. Senate seat from South Carolina is scheduled for election in 2026 (Senator Tim Scott is up in 2028, Senator Lindsey Graham in 2026). County offices on the 2026 ballot include Horry County Council seats, Sheriff (4-year term), Clerk of Court, Register of Deeds, Auditor, Treasurer, Coroner, and other constitutional offices. Because city elections occur in odd years, no municipal races appear on the November 2026 ballot. South Carolina offers absentee voting for any registered voter without requiring an excuse. Voters can request absentee ballots through the online portal at https://www.scvotes.gov/absentee-voting or by submitting a written application to the Horry County elections office. Absentee ballot requests must be received by 5:00 PM the Friday before the election. Voted absentee ballots must be returned by 7:00 PM on Election Day either by mail or in person to the Horry County elections office. While South Carolina doesn't have true "no-excuse" mail voting for all elections, the absentee system is available to all voters who request it.