Tidelines

Important Dates for Statewide Primary Elections

On June 9, 2026, South Carolina will hold both Democratic and Republican Primaries. If you live on Seabrook Island, you vote in Charleston County, Seabrook Voting District, and our precinct location is the Lake House. South Carolina does not have party registration. In primaries, you can vote in only one party’s primary, and you can choose either party but not both.

There are some dates you need to be aware of:

Early Voting – Any voter can vote early at any early voting center. Click here for locations and times. Early voting starts Tuesday, May 26, and ends Friday, June 5. They are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Absentee Voting – Only qualified voters can vote by absentee ballot. Examples of qualified voters are someone with a physical disability or who is over 65. Click here for other qualifications, deadlines, and how to apply for your absentee ballot. You have to apply for your absentee ballot – the deadline for applying is May 29. Once you receive your ballot, fill it out. Ballots must be received by the county voter registration office by 7:00 p.m. on election day. Please note that if you choose to mail it, the Post Office has changed its policy about postmark dates.

In-Person Voting on Election Day – The polling precinct for Seabrook Island is the Lake House. It will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on June 9. Don’t forget to bring your Photo ID.

Find out who is running for which office. Check your sample ballot by visiting your MyscVOTES page. You can view the sample ballots of both parties. South Carolina does not have party registration, and the Statewide Primaries are open to all registered SC voters. Poll managers will ask voters, “In which party’s primary do you wish to vote today?” Please note that these sample ballots are not your actual ballots. Your actual ballot will look different but will contain the same names and issues as the sample ballot.

Your vote really matters.

“Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” – Sharon Salzberg

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: Pinterest)

Being Water Wise: What are Water Safety Guidelines to Teach Children?

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Water safety guidelines for children are essential to prevent drowning, which is a leading cause of injury and death among young kids. Water safety for children is not just about swimming lessons. It’s about creating layers of protection and anticipating the presence of hazards. Formal swim lessons can significantly reduce drowning risk, but they do not replace vigilant oversight.

In our “Be Water Wise” program, we teach the first graders several safety points.

TOSI Happenings for the Week of May 25

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Town Hall will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, for Memorial Day. Town Hall will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Chow Town Food Truck Rodeo – The first Chow Town of the summer season is Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Food trucks from various local vendors will take over the Town Hall parking lot.

Disaster Awareness Day – The Town of Kiawah Island will host Disaster Awareness Day on Friday, May 29, from 10:00 am to noon at Kiawah Island Town Hall, 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway. Click here for more information.

Beach Rules – Peak season beach rules are now in effect.

2026 Town Grant Program – The Town is now accepting applications for funding from the 2026 Discretionary Grant Program. For more information about the Discretionary Grant Program, or to download a grant application form, please click here.

Business License Renewal – The deadline for TOSI business license renewal was April 30, 2026. Renewals after April 30 are subject to late penalties. Click here for more information.

TOSI Monthly E-newsletter – To stay up-to-date with town communications, sign up for the e-newsletter by clicking here.

MEETINGS

To stay up to date on meeting dates and times, visit TOSI’s calendar located on its homepage.

Seabrook Island Utility Commission Meeting
Wednesday, May 27 – 8:30 am
The agenda can be viewed by clicking here.

View the calendar of meetings beyond this week by visiting the home page of TownofSeabrookIsland.org.

Agendas will be posted at least 24 hours before each meeting. All videos can be found on the town’s YouTube channel. Individuals wishing to participate in the meeting via Zoom can call (843) 768-9121 or email pwiggins@townofseabrookisland.org for login information before the meeting.

-Submitted by the Town of Seabrook Island

Fleming Open Scheduled for October 6

The Fleming Open returns to Seabrook Island October 6–11, 2026, following major recognition from the International Tennis Federation, which honored the tournament with its 2025 Tournament Recognition Award for outstanding player experience and satisfaction. In addition, the Fleming Open singles and doubles events have been elevated to a United States Tennis Association sanctioned Level 2 tournament for 2026. Now in its 42nd year, the nationally recognized event welcomes more than 300 players from across the United States and around the world to compete in men’s and women’s age divisions ranging from 30 to 80, along with Level 1/ITF mixed doubles competition.

The event, hosted by the Seabrook Island Racquet Club, is coordinated by Director of Racquet Sports Laura Ferreira alongside tournament chair Mary Anne Rayfield and a dedicated team of volunteers. The Fleming Open has become known not only for exceptional tennis, but also for its strong sense of community and hospitality. Tournament organizers are currently seeking sponsors. Sponsorhip applications are due August 1 with details available at flemingopen.net. Tournament registration opens July 1.

Continuing its tradition of community support, this year’s tournament beneficiary is Sea Island Habitat for Humanity, which has served the local community for more than 45 years through affordable housing construction and critical home repair programs.

-Submitted by Susan Courtney for the Fleming Open Committee

Being Water Wise: Water Safety Awareness Week

For the past 16 years, Waterproof, Inc. and its dedicated local volunteers have been teaching children from Johns Island about water safety and providing them with swimming lessons. From May 11 – 21, 2026, we taught how to “Be Water Wise” to 70 first grade students from Angel Oak Elementary School at the Lake House outdoor pool. According to US National Water Safety Action Plan (USNWSAP), teaching swimming to children ages 6-10 years reduces their risk of drowning by 96%.

Learning about water safety isn’t just for children. Anywhere there is water there is risk. Waterproof, Inc. wants everyone to be water wise since we live on a barrier island that is surrounded by water and contains lakes, ponds, and pools within it. During this week, Tidelines will feature a series of five articles addressing why and how to stay safe in and near water as part of our Water Safety Awareness Week.

Our swimming pools and beaches are fun places. Let’s all work on making them safe. Look for a new article each day this week on being water wise!

-Submitted by Derek Fyfe, Waterproof, Inc.

CCPRC: Reggae Nights at James Island County Park

Summer Nights. Great Music. Great Vibes.

Every little thing gonna be all right! Join us for our 2026 Reggae Nights Summer Concert Series – where old-school roots reggae meets a new school attitude in the beautiful outdoor setting of James Island County Park.

2026 Schedule

May 29 – Equal Rights Reggae Band
June 26 – Da’ Gullah Rootz
July 17 – Well Charged
August 7 – Mystic Vibrations

Concerts will be held throughout the summer at James Island County Park at 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC 29412. Bring your chairs or blanket. Gates open at 7:30 pm and close at 10:30 pm; music begins at 8:00 pm and ends at 11:00 pm. Food, beverages, and souvenirs will be available for purchase on-site.

Click here for more information and to get tickets.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: ccprc.com)

Memorial Day Starts Summer Traffic

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer, and we look forward to welcoming family members, personal friends, and summer visitors. As we all know, traffic can get congested at the Main Gate as visitors arrive to spend their summer holiday on Seabrook Island.

Gate pass data show that peak visitor arrival hours are from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on weekends. During those times, visitors passing through the gate may average over 100 vehicles per hour! In addition, this means there will be more than the usual number of cars, pedestrians, and bikers. Please be patient and follow the Rules and Regulations for driving, walking, and biking.

If possible, you may want to plan your trips back to Seabrook Island sometime before or after these hours.

Please advise your personal guests, rental guests, and contractors arriving during operating hours to stop at the SIPOA Daily Pass Office (see below) to obtain their SIPOA gate pass. Note: This location and the Main Gate accept credit/debit cards and checks only.

TOSI Internet and Phone Down

Town Hall is experiencing intermittent internet and phone issues. We are working with our tech team to resolve the issue before closure at 4:00 pm today, Friday, May 22, 2026.

Town Hall will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. Town Hall will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

-Submitted by the Town of Seabrook Island

Property Owners Luau Saturday, May 23

Join us for an evening of island-style fun as we kick off the summer season at Seabrook Island’s annual Property Owners Luau on Saturday, May 23, from 4:00–7:00 pm.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, May 23
Time: 4:00 – 7:00pm (Food: 4:30-6:00 pm)
Details: Pig roast, beer and wine and live music from Tommy Brown Jr. and the Chucktown Players
Eligibility: Property owners only (21+)
No RSVP required

This year’s luau will include a traditional pig roast, live music, and beer and wine. It’s the perfect setting to reconnect with neighbors, relax, and enjoy a beautiful evening on the island as we celebrate the start of the season.

Property owners are encouraged to come ready to enjoy good food, great music, and a lively community atmosphere.

–Tidelines Editors

(Image credit: SIPOA)

Thank You, BPBSI Volunteers

Recently, the Backpack Buddies of Seabrook Island (BPBSI) held a Thank You Party for the many volunteers who make the organization run smoothly.

The event was held at the Oyster Catcher Community Center, where Shirley Salvo of Sea Islands Hunger Awareness Foundation (SIHAF) was the guest speaker. She regaled everyone with her story about her years with SIHAF, where she has worked tirelessly to address the hunger issue on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands. Volunteers were also treated to an interesting PowerPoint presentation, where many of them were featured on the slides.

Shirley’s message was interesting to all the volunteers, as BPBSI’s mission is to provide weekend food and snacks to needy school children in the Charleston area who attend local schools and live below the poverty line. Thanks to a generous donation of $20,000 from SIHAF, Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island can continue to support local children in need.

With more than 160 volunteers who rotate through roles that include organizing, buying, packing, and delivering the food to each of the locations, BPBSI is a well-tuned operation. Every Thursday during the school year, you can see the assembly line at Oyster Catcher – it would rival a Fortune 500 company!

The volunteers enjoyed good food and drinks provided by the BPBSI Board, as well as the company of fellow volunteers. A special award was given to Gabe Sutton, who helps on Thursdays, cutting up used boxes, stapling and packing bags, and helping the drivers load their cars. His efforts make the process run more smoothly.

Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island (BPBSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To learn how you can donate to help provide nutritious weekend meals to children living below the poverty line, click here.

Memorial Day 2026 Weekend Holiday Hours

Memorial Day is Monday, May 25, 2026

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in our country’s military service, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize veterans who sacrificed their lives for our country.

Let’s be grateful for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America as we spend this weekend with family and friends.

Memorial Day is both a federal and state holiday; thus, banks, post offices, and all non-essential federal and state government offices will be closed.

Click on “Read More” for the trash/yard debris schedule as well as local holiday hours.

Boardwalk 9 Erosion and Planned Sand Relocation Project

Many residents have noticed the erosion that has occurred at Boardwalk 9. In the past several years, erosion has shortened the length of this boardwalk and caused some significant changes to the beach in this area. Currently, the boardwalk is open and accessible, but residents access the beach differently than they have in the past, as shown in the attached photo.

There are plans to improve the condition of the beach in this area. Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA ) plans to conduct a sand scraping project to relocate 150,000 cubic yards of sand along Seabrook Island’s shoreline. The sand scraping permit requires that this work be completed between October 1 and December 31 to avoid impacts to beach habitat. Beginning in October 2026, sand will be collected from the intertidal beach in the area in front of Boardwalk 1, and hauled by truck along the beach to be placed in the area in front of Boardwalk 9. Enough sand will be relocated to create a 100-foot-wide dry sand beach in front of Boardwalk 9. SIPOA is also working to obtain permits to repair the old seawall that has become exposed in this area. If permits are received before October 1, the seawall repair may also be completed in 2026.

SIPOA regularly monitors the condition of the Seabrook Island shoreline and plans for shoreline rehabilitation projects such as these in the annual capital budget. SIPOA also maintains a reserve fund for beach repair and maintenance that can be used to respond to storm damage or other emergencies.

We appreciate your patience as we work to keep the Seabrook Island shoreline in great condition.

Submitted by SIPOA

(Image credit: SIPOA)