Cheraw holds public hearing on proposed council district map to rebalance population

Cheraw's Town Council held a public hearing on Dec. 10 for Ordinance 2025-7, proposed changes to Town Council district lines intended to equalize population after the 2020 census.

Staff said the town's population shifted since district lines drawn in 2006 and that the goal of the proposed map is roughly 840 residents per district to meet equal-protection requirements. The staff explanation listed current and proposed population figures by district (examples given in the hearing included District One at 888 under the 2020 count and the target of 840). "The way we're trying to all get to the 840 number for each district is that's to meet the equal protection Clause of the 14th Amendment — basically says one person equals one vote," a staff speaker said.

Staff described relatively modest adjustments — some districts will grow, others shrink — and said the town is working with the Municipal Association of South Carolina to finalize ordinance language. They also noted a prior voter-registration error in parts of the town that had incorrectly recorded some residents as outside the city limits; county election staff and town staff worked together to correct that issue.

Council did not adopt new maps at the public hearing. Staff advised that the upcoming 2025 election will use the current maps and that, following legal guidance, the new maps would take effect after the general election to provide a transition period. Staff said they will return with finalized language and schedule a first reading when ready.

Next steps: staff to finalize map language with the Municipal Association of SC and return to council for first reading and action; no ordinance vote was taken at the hearing.