Beaufort County's one-cent road sales tax passed with 50.8% in the unofficial count, two years after a similar tax failed. Bluffton precincts voted 53.6% yes.
Beaufort County voters approved a one-cent sales tax for road projects on Nov. 3, according to unofficial results. Question 1 passed by 1,227 votes out of 80,675 cast on it.
A second question, which lets the county borrow against the tax so work can start sooner, also passed. The figures come from the South Carolina Election Commission’s Beaufort County results, last updated at 10:45 p.m. on election night.
The results are unofficial until the county certifies them. The posted count shows no provisional ballots counted yet.
The vote
| Question | Yes | No | Yes share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1: one-cent sales tax | 40,951 | 39,724 | 50.8% |
| Question 2: bonds up to $450 million | 42,660 | 40,276 | 51.4% |
Turnout was 60.8%. The state’s figures show 86,689 ballots cast out of 142,485 registered voters in the county.
Two years ago, a similar transportation tax failed. In the 2024 general election results, 55.1% of county voters said no to the tax question.
Bluffton voted yes
The 26 precincts with Bluffton in their name voted 53.6% yes on Question 1: 7,681 to 6,638. On Question 2 they voted 54.1% yes.
Support was strongest in the 10 Sun City precincts, at 60.3% yes. The Hilton Head Island and Spanish Wells precincts voted 54.8% yes. Hilton Head Island is about 11 miles east.
Every other precinct in the county, taken together with failsafe ballots, voted 54% no. That is 18,084 yes votes to 21,251 no. We grouped precincts by their names in the state’s precinct-level results file. Precinct names do not match town limits exactly.
What the tax is
Beaufort County described the two questions in an Oct. 6 news release.
- The tax runs for no more than nine years, or until $780 million is collected, whichever comes first.
- The county’s sales tax rises from South Carolina’s base rate of 6% to 7%, the county said.
- Rent, mortgage payments, gas, unprepared groceries and prescriptions are exempt.
- The bonds, up to $450 million, are repaid from the tax so design and construction can start sooner.
- A citizen-led oversight committee will oversee spending, set project priority and report on the program.
The county’s one-page summary says the tax will begin appearing on purchases in early 2027. It splits the money three ways:
- $326 million for safety and intersection projects
- $205 million for widening
- $249 million for resurfacing and paving dirt roads
The county says the bond money is not an extra tax and does not add to the total collected, according to its referendum page. County Council gave the ordinance its third and final reading June 22, the county said.
The Bluffton-area projects
These are the projects on the county’s project list in and around Bluffton, with the county’s estimated costs and names:
| Project | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Okatie Highway (S.C. 170) widening | $103,840,000 |
| West Fording Island Road (U.S. 278) widening | $51,984,000 |
| S.C. 46 widening | $44,170,000 |
| Fording Island Road (U.S. 278) resurfacing | $27,096,400 |
| S.C. 170 and U.S. 278 diverging diamond interchange | $18,054,000 |
| Bluffton Parkway resurfacing | $14,661,600 |
| Buckwalter Parkway resurfacing | $10,099,700 |
| Bluffton Parkway improvements | $7,130,000 |
| Bluffton Parkway and S.C. 46 roundabout improvements | $6,000,000 |
| Buckwalter Parkway, H.E. McCracken Circle section | $4,340,000 |
| S.C. 46 and Gibbet Road signal | $4,075,000 |
| Town of Bluffton street resurfacing | $3,877,500 |
| U.S. 278 and Simmonsville Road | $2,220,000 |
| U.S. 278 and Buck Island Road | $1,800,000 |
| Right-in, right-out at Bluffton Parkway and Goethe Road | $1,220,000 |
| S.C. 46 and Stardust Lane signal | $811,000 |
| Goethe Road resurfacing and traffic calming | $420,000 |
A separate $19,075,000 countywide signal project would study and install adaptive traffic signals on several corridors. They include Bluffton Parkway, Buckwalter Parkway and U.S. 278 from Argent Boulevard to Moss Creek Drive, according to the county’s referendum page.
What it means for you
- Most purchases in Beaufort County will cost one cent more on the dollar once the tax starts. The county says that will be early 2027.
- Groceries you cook at home, gas, rent, mortgage payments and prescriptions are exempt.
- The tax ends after nine years or at $780 million, whichever comes first.
- No construction dates are set yet. We will report when the county publishes a schedule and when the oversight committee is named.
- The results are unofficial. We will update this story when the county certifies them.
For the rest of the Nov. 3 results in Beaufort County, see our voting and results page. For current road work around town, see our road construction and closures page.
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