The Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Board met Aug. 25 in a regularly scheduled session, its first meeting held in the Clarendon County Council Chambers and livestreamed on the County Administration’s Facebook page.
Under old business, the board approved a clarification to time-sheet approvals: staff time sheets will be approved by the executive director, and the executive director’s time sheet will be approved by the board.
Members also entered executive session for personnel and security matters allowed under S.C. Code 30-4-70(a)(1) and 30-4-20(c). No action was taken after the closed session.
Executive Director Princess Lang delivered her first director’s report since being named to the post, noting the office is operating with three staff members and steady activity. “Our team continues to hold the line and keep operations steady—phones are ringing, voters are registering, and coffee is still disappearing at alarming rates,” she said.
As of Aug. 17, Clarendon had 21,074 registered voters, with 187 new registrations or updates recorded in the past month. The office is coordinating a voter-registration drive at East Clarendon High School for eligible 17- and 18-year-olds.
The next election is the Town of Turbeville’s general election on Nov. 4, 2025, with two Town Council seats on the ballot and three candidates filed. Voting for the Turbeville Precinct will be at Pinegrove Methodist Church Annex, 1090 Morgan St., Turbeville. All voting machines have completed initial testing, with final public testing scheduled before Election Day. Early voting is slated for Oct. 20–31, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m., at the Voter Registration and Elections Office.
Compliance deadlines include publication of the Notice of Election by Sept. 5, a second notice by Sept. 19, the UOCAVA absentee request deadline at noon on Sept. 20, and the absentee application deadline on Oct. 20. “All compliance requirements are being met. We’re staying on the right side of the law—which, I assure you, is my favorite side,” Lang said.
Twelve residents signed up during the Aug. 12 National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, and applications remain available. A Voter Education Outreach Day with Harvin Clarendon County Library is planned for Oct. 2. Financially, the office reported year-to-date expenditures of $48,682 as of Aug. 21 and said it is in good standing. “Our finances are stable—meaning we have just enough to keep the lights on and the ballots rolling,” Lang said.
Priorities for September include finalizing early-voting logistics for Turbeville, completing public testing of equipment, and promoting National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 16.
