Pelion, South Carolina Public Records

Residents can register to vote online through the South Carolina Election Commission's website at scVOTES.gov/register, which allows eligible citizens to complete registration or update their information electronically. South Carolina requires registration at least 30 days before any election. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, at least 18 years old by election day, residents of South Carolina and the county where they register, and not under a court order declaring them mentally incompetent. Online registration requires a South Carolina driver's license or Department of Motor Vehicles ID card number, though registration can also be completed by mail or in person at the Voter Registration office. Municipal elections for the Town of Pelion take place in odd-numbered years, most recently in 2023 with the next scheduled for 2027. These November elections for mayor and town council seats are nonpartisan. The town's government consists of a mayor and council members elected to staggered terms. Candidate information, filing deadlines, and local ballot issues are posted at Pelion Town Hall and through the Lexington County Elections Office. Voters can locate their assigned polling place using the lookup tool at scVOTES.gov/poll or by calling the Lexington County elections office. Local voters typically cast ballots at Pelion Town Hall or nearby community facilities designated as polling places. Election records available to the public in South Carolina include voter registration lists, which can be purchased for lawful purposes as defined by state law, campaign finance disclosure reports filed with the State Ethics Commission at ethics.sc.gov, candidate filing information, and precinct-level election results. The South Carolina State Election Commission at scVOTES.gov publishes election results by county and precinct after each election, including turnout statistics and vote totals for all races and ballot measures. In the November 2024 general election, Lexington County recorded strong voter turnout consistent with presidential election cycles, with approximately 68-72% of registered voters casting ballots. The county has historically leaned Republican in partisan elections, though local races are often decided on nonpartisan grounds and individual candidate strength. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, Pelion and Lexington County voters will decide several important races. South Carolina does not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026, as Senator Lindsey Graham was re-elected in 2020 to a term ending 2026, and Senator Tim Scott was elected in 2022 to a term ending 2028. However, all South Carolina U.S. House seats will be on the ballot. Pelion is located in South Carolina's 2nd Congressional District. The Governor of South Carolina will not be on the ballot in 2026, as gubernatorial elections in South Carolina occur in even years divisible by four. State-level races in 2026 will include all 124 seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives and approximately half of the 46 seats in the South Carolina Senate, which serve staggered four-year terms. Local voters will elect their state representative and may have a state senator race depending on the district cycle. Lexington County offices on the 2026 ballot may include County Council seats, which are elected to staggered four-year terms, school board trustees for applicable districts, and various county administrative positions depending on term schedules. Voters should confirm specific races through the Lexington County Elections Office as the election approaches and candidate filing occurs. Absentee voting in South Carolina is available for voters who qualify under specific circumstances: those 65 or older, those who will be absent from the county on election day, those with physical disabilities, certified poll workers and managers assigned to work in other precincts, members of the armed forces and overseas citizens, and government employees on official business outside their county. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted online at scVOTES.gov/absentee-voting, by mail, or in person at the Lexington County Voter Registration and Elections Office. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 11 days before the election. In-person absentee voting is available at the Elections Office beginning approximately two weeks before election day and ending the day before the election at 5:00 PM. South Carolina does not have universal no-excuse mail voting; voters must meet one of the statutory qualifications to vote absentee.