The mimosas won. Voters loosen local Sunday alcohol rules in many South Carolina counties

Voters in more than half a dozen counties and cities in South Carolina cast their ballots to loosen Sunday alcohol sales rules, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s General Election.

Voters in Greenwood and McCormick counties Upstate approved a measure to allow retailers to sell beer and wine on Sundays, according to the Index Journal. The cities of Abbeville and McCormick also approved Sunday alcohol sales at restaurants, the newspaper reported.

On the other side of the state, Florence County voters said yes to allowing Sunday alcohol sales in restaurants and bars, according to SCNow. The news site reports the Florence County Council also considered asking voters about Sunday alcohol sales from retailers in a second ballot question, but dropped that idea from the referendum.

Darlington County voters approved a measure to allow retailers to sell beer and wine on Sundays and liquor sales in restaurants, according to the Hartsville Messenger. The loosened rules only apply to unincorporated areas of the county, the newspaper reported.

Sunday alcohol sales are already allowed in the cities of Hartsville and Darlington, the two biggest incorporated areas in the county, the Messenger notes.

Anderson County voters approved two separate referendums to allow Sunday sales of beer and wine in stores and all alcohol at restaurants, according to the Anderson Independent Mail. The new rules apply to all of Anderson County, including incorporated areas and outside city limits, the newspaper reports.

In the elections in the Lakelands area Upstate, local leaders pointed to economic development and staying competitive with cities and neighboring counties as the primary argument for allowing Sunday alcohol sales, according to the Index Journal.

For the City of Abbeville, it was a question of keeping business in town while the county moved to loosen alcohol rules, the newspaper reported.

Abbeville city councilor Trey Edwards told the newspaper over the summer that the city would lose tax money if it did not change Sunday alcohol rules along with the county. “Not only are they going to the bars to have a beverage or eat out, but they are going to do everything they have to do and then they will drive back.”

Here are the unofficial results from each referendum:

• City of Abbeville – Restaurant sales: 59.6 percent yes, 40.4 percent no
  
  
• Anderson County – Restaurant sales: 58.9 percent yes, 41.1 percent no
• Anderson County – Retail sales: 56.3 percent yes, 43.7 percent no
• Darlington County – Restaurant and retail sales: 57 percent yes, 43 percent no
• Florence County – Restaurant sales: 62.4 percent yes, 37.6 percent no
• Greenwood County – Restaurant sales: 61.9 percent yes, 38.1 percent no
• McCormick County – Restaurant sales: 67.1 percent yes, 32.2 percent no

• McCormick County – Retail sales: 68.8 percent yes, 31.2 percent no

This story was originally published November 7, 2018 at 10:17 AM.