The Office of Voter Registration and Elections of Dorchester County announced on May 6 that it will conduct a hand-count audit of election ballots on Wednesday, June 10 at the Elections Warehouse, located at 235 Deming Way in Summerville. The audit is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.
The purpose of the hand-count audit is to ensure that the number of ballots cast was accurately recorded by the tabulation device. It also aims to confirm that votes for particular candidates were correctly counted by the same device.
Audited precincts and contests are selected by the State Election Commission and published on SCVotes.gov. During this process, photography and videography are prohibited in order to maintain ballot secrecy. The Office cited Article II §1 of the South Carolina Constitution: “All elections by the people shall be by secret ballot, but the ballots shall not be counted in secret.”
Dorchester County supports financial transparency through public salary data and financial reports, manages infrastructure projects funded by federal programs such as ARPA and CDBG, fosters community welfare through initiatives addressing homelessness, mental health, mosquito control and public safety, operates facilities including parks, senior centers and libraries, maintains ties with special districts like Lake Marion Regional Water Agency and Summers Corner Improvement District, employs more than 1,000 full-time staff for its operations, and features award-winning school districts recognized for educational excellence according to the official website.
Looking ahead, county officials say these audits are part of ongoing efforts to ensure election integrity while maintaining transparency within Dorchester County government.
