North Charleston backed the county roads tax 70% to 30% and the school tax 77% to 23%. Both passed countywide. Here are the local races, turnout and what comes next.
North Charleston voters backed both sales tax questions on Tuesday’s ballot by wider margins than the rest of Charleston County. Both passed countywide.
In the county’s 30 North Charleston precincts, 70.1% voted yes on the transportation sales tax. Countywide the figure was 63.9%. The school district’s education capital improvements tax drew 77.1% yes in North Charleston and 68% across the county.
The figures are unofficial. They come from the Charleston County election night results, last updated at 11:21 p.m. Tuesday with 182 of 185 precincts counted.
The tax questions
| Question | Countywide yes | Countywide no | North Charleston yes | North Charleston no |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1: transportation sales tax | 108,190 (63.9%) | 61,102 (36.1%) | 11,249 (70.1%) | 4,792 (29.9%) |
| Question 2: bonds repaid by that tax | 108,002 (64%) | 60,841 (36%) | 11,113 (69.2%) | 4,957 (30.8%) |
| Education capital improvements tax | 115,325 (68%) | 54,182 (32%) | 12,403 (77.1%) | 3,684 (22.9%) |
Question 1 keeps the county’s half-cent sales tax for roads, CARTA buses and green space for up to 25 years, or until it raises $4.25 billion. Question 2 lets the county borrow up to $300 million against it to finish projects sooner.
The plan names nine road projects inside North Charleston worth $431.4 million. The biggest is a $175.9 million railroad overpass on Rivers Avenue at Durant Avenue. Our story on the North Charleston projects lists all nine.
County Council Chairman Joe Boykin said in a county statement Wednesday that voters “reaffirmed their commitment to safer roads, less congestion, responsible growth, and protecting the quality of life that makes our community special.”
“The responsibility now is to deliver on that trust,” Boykin said.
Turnout was lower in North Charleston
The 30 North Charleston precincts have 34,186 registered voters. Of those, 16,903 cast ballots, or 49.4%. Countywide turnout was 63.2%, with 176,004 ballots from 278,463 registered voters.
Local races on North Charleston ballots
Several races in North Charleston precincts had a single candidate:
- County Council District 5: Teddie Pryor, 98.8% countywide
- S.C. House District 109: Tiffany Spann-Wilder, 98.8%
- S.C. House District 111: Wendell G. Gilliard, 98.5%
- S.C. House District 113: Courtney Waters, 98.9%
- Register of deeds: Karen Lesser Hollings, 98.2% countywide
In S.C. House District 15, which also covers part of Berkeley County, JA Moore had 69.7% of the Charleston County vote. Berkeley County reports its own results.
In the 6th Congressional District, Jim Clyburn had 68.2% of the Charleston County vote and 80.7% in the North Charleston precincts.
For probate judge, Tamara Cunningham Curry had 54.8% countywide to Irv Condon’s 45.1%. In the North Charleston precincts she had 78.5%.
School board
Charleston County School District board seats are nonpartisan. Three of the five seats on the ballot included North Charleston precincts. These are the districtwide unofficial totals:
| Seat | Leading candidate | Others |
|---|---|---|
| District 3 | Bethany Nemitz, 3,949 (36.4%) | Joseph Bennett 2,746, Stuart Day 2,407, Tressa Pankovits 1,671 |
| District 5 | Libby Tisdale, 4,292 (61.1%) | Carlotte M. Bailey 2,673 |
| District 7 | Joy Brown, 4,547 (33.4%) | Leah A. Whatley 4,500, Francis Marion Beylotte 2,977, Darryl Ray Griffin 1,521 |
District 7 is the closest school board race. At the last update, 47 votes separated Brown and Whatley.
Elsewhere in the county
In County Council District 8, which has no North Charleston precincts, Charles Glover had 49.8% to Boykin’s 47.8%.
Statewide, unofficial totals from the State Election Commission show Alan Wilson leading for governor with 51.6% and Annie Andrews leading for U.S. Senate with 51.1%.
What it means for you
- Your sales tax rate does not change. The new transportation program takes over from the 2004 half-cent tax once that one finishes collecting, which the county projects for 2027.
- Rivers Avenue and Mall Drive are now funded on paper. Design, permits and construction come next, and the county has not published a schedule. Our road construction and closures page tracks work as it starts.
- Results are not final. Every figure here is unofficial until the county board certifies the count. Our voting page has the links to the county’s results.
- Live in the Dorchester or Berkeley County part of North Charleston? These questions were not on your ballot.
We will update this story when the county certifies the results.
Note on the figures: “North Charleston” here means the 30 precincts the county names North Charleston 1 through 30. Precinct lines do not match city limits exactly, and parts of the city vote in Deer Park, Ladson and other precincts, or in Dorchester and Berkeley counties.
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