Aiken County Considers Ballot for Sunday Alcohol Sales in Unincorporated Areas

Aiken County Council has started a process to put a referendum on the November ballot. Voters in unincorporated areas would decide if alcohol sales should be legal on Sundays. The panel talked about this matter on Jan. 6, 2026, at the Government Center during a work session.

Vice Chairman Andrew Siders asked for the discussion after hearing from business owners who contacted him with concerns and requests. "This comes from several folks that have called me, business owners and things of that sort," Siders said, according to the Post and Courier.

Siders pointed out that the City of Aiken and some other municipalities in the county let businesses sell alcohol on Sundays. He mentioned that he used to run Dave's Grocery, business that sits outside the city limits.

Three readings would be needed before an ordinance could take effect. Chairman Gary Bunker has asked county staff to look at referendums that have been put on ballots before and examine Sunday alcohol sale referendums from other parts of the state.

Staff will combine information from other Sunday alcohol sale referendums with how the county handles referendums to create a draft ordinance, according to Bunker. Once the document is ready, it will go before the Judicial and Public Safety Committee for review.

Only residents living in unincorporated areas would be able to vote on the measure if it shows up on the ballot.

No member spoke against a Sunday alcohol sale referendum during the discussion.