If you live in South Carolina, there’s a strong chance that local school board elections are taking place in your county this November. With Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 5) just around the corner, and statewide early voting starting on Oct. 21, here are some key facts to know.
- In SC, most school board elections coincide with the general election cycle: Of South Carolina’s 46 counties, 42 have school board elections taking place this November. Several counties consist of multiple school districts (Richland, Lexington, Florence, and Rock Hill, to name a few). However, most of South Carolina’s largest jurisdictions, including Charleston, Greenville, and Horry, are single-district counties.
The only counties not holding school board elections this November are Spartanburg, Dillon, Cherokee, and Marion. (Note: In Greenwood County, only District 50 has elections this November. Districts 51 and 52 hold theirs in May.)
- Nearly all school board elections in SC are nonpartisan: In South Carolina, only Horry and Lee Counties hold partisan school board elections. This means that school board candidates in the remaining 44 counties run and are elected without party designation. By comparison, nearly half (53 of 115) of districts in North Carolina now conduct partisan school board elections.
In 2022, South Carolina legislators passed a measure to require partisan school board elections in Lancaster County, though it was vetoed by Governor Henry McMaster. A separate unsuccessful bill filed this year sought to require all school board races in the state to be partisan.
- Clarendon County is holding its first-ever school board elections: For the first time ever, voters in Clarendon County will cast their ballots in local school board elections this November, deciding their next slate of trustees. School board seats in the county have historically been filled via appointment, but that changed after lawmakers this year passed S.738, according to Manning Live. All nine seats on the Clarendon County School Board are up for election.
Want to know which seats are up for election where you live? You can view your sample ballot here.