Pickens County Election Information

Dr. Amy Sams, Executive Director
864-898-5948; office: 864-898-5637
[email protected]

Board of Voter Registration & Elections
Pickens County Administration Building
222 McDaniel Avenue, B-9
Pickens, SC 29671

open: Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 5:00pm
Election Day: 7:00am - 7:00pm
pickenselections.org/

Pickens County Election & Registration Information

The Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Pickens County is a department of Pickens County Government created by SC Code of Laws Section 7-5-10 et seq. which establishes this agency and governs its command structure and operations. Operations of the Department are funded by the Pickens County Council and supervised by the SC State Election Commission as required by state law.

Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Board of Voter Registration & Elections of Pickens County is to offer every eligible Pickens County citizen the opportunity to register to vote, and to conduct legal, fair, and efficient elections so all citizens are assured their vote will be counted.

Board Members

The Board consists of at least five and not more than nine citizens, at least one of whom shall be a member of the majority political party and at least one member of whom shall be a member of the largest minority political party represented in the General Assembly, who are appointed by the Governor upon recommendation by the Pickens County Legislative Delegation for staggered four year terms.

James Liddle, Chairperson

Charles Titus, Vice-Chairperson

Cheryl Allen-Bailey, Secretary

Amanda Bauknight

Brian Dismukes

Dr. James Schmutz

Board Meetings

All meetings and hearings of the Board shall be open to the public except where authorized pursuant to Freedom of Information Act, Section 30-4-70 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended.

Meeting Agendas & Minutes

Notices of Cancellation

Meeting and Election Schedule

Regular Board Meetings

The Board meets the first Tuesday of every month, except December, at 4:30 PM. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson, acting Chairperson, or majority of the Board, but no meetings shall be held unless all members and the public are notified 24 hours in advance, as stated in the SC Freedom of Information Act.
Each meeting will have a public comment period. Citizens who wish to speak during the comment period do not have to register in advance. Each person is limited to 5-minutes, and maximum total public comment time is 20 minutes.
Should any person want to speak about a matter at a meeting and believe they need more than 5 minutes, they should submit a request to the Executive Director or Chairperson to place it on the agenda by 12:00 noon seven days prior to the meeting.

Registration Qualification Hearings

Any person may challenge a voter’s registration qualifications to the Board. The challenge must be made in writing to the Board. Within 10 days and after first giving notice to both the voter and the challenger, the Board will hold a hearing. At the hearing the Board will accept evidence and rule on whether the voter meets or fails to meet the registration qualifications. The Board will notify the voter and the challenger in writing of their decision.
At the hearing, the Board may consider the following proof to establish residence including, but not limited to: income tax returns; real estate interests; mailing address; address on driver’s license; official papers and documents requiring the statement of residence address; automobile registration; checking and savings accounts; past voting record; membership in clubs and organizations; location of personal property; and the voter’s statement as to the intent to establish residency (7-5-230).

Provisional Ballot & Election Certification Hearings

The Board, acting as the county Board of Canvassers, meets the Thursday or Friday following an election inside the County Administration Facility to conduct a hearing for all provisional ballots and to certify the official results of the election.
Challenged voters are entitled to be present at this hearing and are entitled to be represented by legal counsel and present evidence on their behalf. Voters who were challenged for not providing proper ID when registering to vote by mail must provide this ID prior to or at the provisional ballot hearing for their vote to be counted.

Persons who challenged a voter’s ballot may be present at this hearing to present evidence and/or witnesses in support of their challenge. Prior to the hearing, they may present written evidence to the Board. If the challenger does none of these to support their challenge of the voter’s ballot, the ballot will be counted.