Round O, South Carolina Public Records

Residents can register to vote online through the South Carolina Online Voter Registration system at scVOTES.gov/OVR. Online registration requires a South Carolina driver's license or DMV-issued ID card, and applications must be submitted at least 30 days before an election. That 30-day deadline applies to all registration methods for any election. South Carolina requires voters to provide their full name, date of birth, South Carolina driver's license or DMV ID number (or last four digits of Social Security number), and residential address. As an unincorporated community, Round O does not hold municipal elections for mayor or city council since there is no incorporated town government. Residents vote in county-level, state legislative, and federal elections but not in municipal races. Colleton County holds elections for County Council seats, Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Treasurer, Auditor, Coroner, and other constitutional offices. County Council members serve four-year terms with staggered elections. State legislative races include South Carolina House of Representatives (District 118 and other districts covering Colleton County) and South Carolina Senate (District 37 and others), with House members serving two-year terms and Senators serving four-year terms. Voters can find their specific polling location using the polling place lookup tool at scVOTES.gov/PollingPlace or by contacting the Colleton County Election Office. The lookup requires entering name and date of birth or residential address. In the November 2024 presidential election, Colleton County reported moderate turnout consistent with South Carolina's overall participation rate of approximately 60-65% of registered voters. The county leaned heavily Republican in recent presidential elections, reflecting the political character of rural South Carolina counties. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election, Round O and Colleton County voters will decide several significant races. The U.S. Senate race for Lindsey Graham's seat will be on the ballot in 2026. Governor Henry McMaster's term expires in 2026, making the gubernatorial race a major statewide contest. All South Carolina House of Representatives seats (including those representing Round O) will be on the ballot, as House members serve two-year terms. Colleton County constitutional offices such as Sheriff, Clerk of Court, Auditor, Treasurer, and others may also be up for election depending on term schedules. Voters should consult the Colleton County Election Office or scVOTES.gov closer to the election for specific ballot information. South Carolina election records that are public include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed with the State Ethics Commission (searchable at ethics.sc.gov), candidate filings and statements, precinct-level election results, and historical voting data. The South Carolina State Election Commission publishes detailed election results by county and precinct shortly after each election at scVOTES.gov. Absentee voting in South Carolina requires an excuse or justification, voters may request absentee ballots if they will be absent from the county on election day, have a physical disability, are 65 or older, are confined to a jail or hospital, work in elections and are assigned to work on election day, have a death or funeral in the family within a three-day period, or are a government employee whose work schedule conflicts with voting. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Colleton County Voter Registration and Elections Office no later than 5:00 PM on the fourth day before the election. South Carolina also offers early voting (in-person absentee voting) beginning 30 days before any statewide election at locations designated by the Colleton County election office.