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South Carolina state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 17
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| 2018 South Carolina State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | June 12, 2018 |
| Primary Runoff | June 26, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the South Carolina House of Representatives were on June 12, 2018, and the Republican primary runoff elections were on June 26, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in South Carolina, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 30, 2018. In the state House, all 124 seats were up for election. Elections were not held for state Senate seats in 2018.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Six Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election.
- Joshua Putnam (District 10)
- Dan Hamilton (District 20)
- Derham Cole Jr. (District 32)
- F. Gregory "Greg" Delleney, Jr. (District 43)
- Todd Atwater (District 87)
- Katie Arrington (District 94)
Incumbents defeated
Two Republican state House incumbents were defeated in their primaries.
- Phyllis Henderson (District 21)
- Greg Duckworth (District 104)
Competitiveness
Forty-three more candidates ran in 2018 than in the 2014 primaries, the last time the House and the Senate were up. There were 34 contested primaries compared to 21 contested primaries in 2014. Thirty-six incumbents faced challengers compared to 20 in 2014.
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 124 | 10 | 232 | 12 | 34 | 18.5% | 36 | 31.6% |
| 2016 | 170 | 17 | 313 | 20 | 40 | 17.6% | 40 | 26.1% |
| 2014 | 124 | 9 | 189 | 8 | 21 | 11.7% | 20 | 17.4% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the South Carolina House of Representatives and South Carolina State Senate as of June 2018:
South Carolina House of Representatives
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 44 | |
| Republican Party | 80 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 124 | |
South Carolina State Senate
| Party | As of June 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 46 | |
Battleground races
Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 South Carolina state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.
To determine the South Carolina state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:
- Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
- One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
- The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.
Media coverage
This section provides an overview of media reactions to the South Carolina state legislative Republican primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Carolina utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary. Voters must take an oath affirming that they have not voted in another party's primary.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In South Carolina, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[4]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in South Carolina, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the county and precinct where he or she is registering, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. People who have been declared mentally incompetent by court order, are imprisoned, or are still serving a sentence for a felony conviction are ineligible to register to vote.[5] The deadline for registration is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters may register using one of the following methods:
- Online,
- In person at the county board of elections or one of the following locations:
- Armed Forces Recruiting Stations
- Commission for the Blind
- Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services
- Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
- Department of Health and Environmental Control
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Mental Health
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Department of Social Services
- Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
- Vocational Rehabilitation Department
- Returning a voter registration form by email, fax, or mail to the county board of voter registration. Note that mailed applications must be postmarked by at least 30 days before the election.[5]
Automatic registration
South Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.[2]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
South Carolina has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
South Carolina does not allow same-day voter registration.[2]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must be residents of the county and precinct in which they are registering to vote.[5]
Verification of citizenship
South Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[5] An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[6] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The South Carolina Election Commission allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting the MyscVOTES website.
Voter ID requirements
South Carolina requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4][7]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- SC Driver’s License
- SC Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
- includes SC Concealed Weapons Permit
- SC Voter Registration Card with Photo
- U.S. Passport
- Federal Military ID
- includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Card
Voters can obtain a free photo ID from a local DMV office or a county elections office.[8]
Early voting
South Carolina permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
According to the South Carolina Election Commission's website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[9]
| “ |
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” |
To vote absentee, voters must first request an application for the absentee ballot. Application requests can be made in person, by phone, or by mail. The absentee ballot application must then be completed and returned to the voter's county voter registration office by 5:00 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day. Once completed, the ballot must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[9] According to the South Carolina Election Commission's website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[9]
| “ |
|
” |
To vote absentee, voters must first request an application for the absentee ballot. Application requests can be made in person, by phone, or by mail. The absentee ballot application must then be completed and returned to the voter's county voter registration office by 5:00 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day. Once completed, the ballot must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[9]
See also
- South Carolina state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- South Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2018
- South Carolina State Legislature
- South Carolina elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ South Carolina Legislature,"South Carolina Code of Laws Unannotated § 7-9-10," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 South Carolina Election Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election," accessed August 20, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 South Carolina Election Commission, “Register to Vote,” accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Justia, "SC Code § 7-13-710 (2022)," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ South Carolina Elections Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election, accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 South Carolina State Election Commission, "Absentee Voting," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
