Voting in South Carolina
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Voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which American citizens cast their ballots in their individual states.
This page includes the following:
- Voter registration details, including methods of registering and requirements
- Details on voting in elections, including identification requirements, poll times, and primary election type
- Absentee/mail-in voting rules[1]
- Early voting rules
- Convicted felons' voting rights
- Election administration costs report
- Election agencies list
- Election policy ballot measures list
- Election policy legislation list
Voter registration
To register to vote in South Carolina, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the county and precinct in which he or she is registering, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election. Individuals who have been declared mentally incompetent by court order, who are imprisoned, or who are serving sentences for a felony conviction are ineligible to register to vote.[2] The deadline for registration is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters may register to vote online, in person at the county board of voter registration, or by downloading a voter registration form and mailing, faxing, or emailing it to the county board of voter registration.[2]
Automatic registration
South Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.
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.
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must be residents of the county and precinct in which they are registering to vote.
Verification of citizenship
South Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.
Verifying your registration
The South Carolina Election Commission allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voting in elections
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
South Carolina requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[3]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- South Carolina driver's license
- South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles ID card
- South Carolina concealed weapons permit
- South Carolina voter registration card with photo
- United States Military ID, including all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card
- U.S. Passport and Passport ID Card
Voters can obtain a free photo ID from a local DMV office or a county voter registration and elections office. If the voter is already registered to vote, he or she can go to the county voter registration and elections office, give officials his or her date of birth and the last four digits of his or her Social Security Number, and have a photo taken for the ID.[3]
Background
South Carolina’s photo identification law was first submitted for pre-clearance to the United States Department of Justice in 2011 and was denied. Though the state applied for reconsideration, it was again denied pre-clearance on June 29, 2012. South Carolina then took the law to court, and in October 2012, a panel of federal judges blocked the law for the 2012 general election. The judges ruled that, given the short time remaining before the election, the law put a burden on minority voters that violated the Voting Rights Act. However, the judges also said there was nothing inherently discriminatory about the law and that it could be utilized in elections after 2012. South Carolina’s photo ID law took effect January 1, 2013.[4][5]
As of April 2021, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 21 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.[6][7]
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing times
In South Carolina, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[8]
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in South Carolina
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.[9][10][11][12]
Absentee voting
- See also: Absentee voting
In order to qualify for an absentee ballot, voters in South Carolina must provide a valid reason they cannot make it to the polls on Election Day. The following voters qualify for an absentee ballot:[13]
- Students attending school outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine serving outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Persons serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Persons who, for reasons of employment, will not be able to vote on Election Day
- Physically disabled persons
- Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
- Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
- Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
- Overseas Citizens
- Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
- Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election
- Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
- Persons sixty-five years of age or older
- Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
To vote absentee, a request must be received "no later than 5:00 p.m. on the fourth day prior to the election." The ballot must then be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Qualified voters may also vote absentee in person. The South Carolina Election Commission states, "Visit the county voter registration office in your county of residence, complete an application, and cast your ballot. You may vote absentee in person up until 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election."[13]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
South Carolina does not permit early voting.
As of April 2021, 38 states and the District of Columbia permitted early voting. Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on election day. States that do not permit early voting still permit some or all citizens to vote early by mail—often known as absentee voting. Some states allow no-excuse absentee voting, while others require an excuse. States that allow in-person absentee voting without an excuse are counted among early voting states. Click here for early voting laws by state.[14]
Convicted felons' voting rights
- See also: Voting rights for convicted felons
In South Carolina, voting rights are restored to convicted felons upon the completion of their sentence, including probation and parole, or if they receive a pardon.[15]
Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[16][17]
Election administration costs
National Conference of State Legislatures report, 2018
On February 14, 2018, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a report on the costs of election administration in the states: "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections." The report's authors noted that "no one knows how much [states] spend on elections ... [because] good research on election costs is slim." Generally, local units of government (most often counties, but sometimes cities and towns) are primarily responsible for election administration costs, though states and the federal government may also contribute. The report identified the states listed in the table below as assuming financial responsibility for at least some aspects of election administration.[18]
To access the complete NCSL report, click here.
| Election administration costs assumed by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State pays all expenses for federal or state elections | State bears a portion of election costs | State pays for statewide special elections or statewide elections that don’t coincide with regularly scheduled elections | State pays for primary elections (statewide, presidential, or both) |
| Alaska Delaware |
Alabama Colorado Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Rhode Island |
Arkansas Florida Iowa Michigan Missouri New Jersey North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Washington West Virginia |
Arizona Arkansas Idaho Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington |
| Note: If a state is not listed above, it was not included in the report. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018 | |||
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in South Carolina can contact the following state and federal agencies.
South Carolina State Election Commission
- P.O. Box 5987
- Columbia, South Carolina 29250-5987
- Telephone: 803-734-9060
- Email: elections@elections.sc.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300
- Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
- Telephone: 866-747-1471
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in South Carolina.
- South Carolina Amendment 1, Appointed Superintendent of Education Measure (2018)
- South Carolina Appointment of Adjutant General, Amendment 2 (2014)
- South Carolina Democratic Primary Advisory Questions (June 2014)
- South Carolina Elector Requirements, Amendment 1 (1970)
- South Carolina Gubernatorial Elections, Amendment 1 (2012)
- South Carolina Referendum 2B, Convicted Felons May Not Serve in Elective Office (1996)
- South Carolina Referendum 2C, Voting Eligibility of 18-Year-Olds (1996)
- South Carolina Referendum 3, Voting Precinct for Those Who Have Moved (1996)
- South Carolina Register to Vote Qualifications, Amendment 2 (1970)
- South Carolina Republican Primary Advisory Questions (June 2014)
Election policy legislation
The following is a list of recent election bills that have been introduced in or passed by the South Carolina state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms South Carolina voting. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Carolina
- Redistricting in South Carolina
Elections in South Carolina
- South Carolina elections, 2022
- South Carolina elections, 2021
- South Carolina elections, 2020
- South Carolina elections, 2019
- South Carolina elections, 2018
- South Carolina elections, 2017
- South Carolina elections, 2016
- South Carolina elections, 2015
- South Carolina elections, 2014
- South Carolina elections, 2013
- South Carolina elections, 2012
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 South Carolina Election Commission, “South Carolina Voter Registration Information,” accessed October 5, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 South Carolina Election Commission, "Photo ID Requirements," accessed October 7, 2019
- ↑ BrennanCenter.org, "South Carolina v. Holder, Opinion," October 10, 2012
- ↑ BrennanCenter.org, "South Carolina v. Holder," October 15, 2012
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," June 5, 2017
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, “How to Vote,” accessed October 17, 2019
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ FairVote,"Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission',"Nomination by Political Party," accessed October 25, 2019
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 South Carolina State Election Commission, "Absentee Voting," accessed October 15, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Laws Governing Early Voting," August 2, 2019
- ↑ South Carolina Election Commission, "South Carolina Voter Registration Information," accessed December 12, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," accessed July 15, 2014
- ↑ American Civil Liberties Union, "State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws," accessed September 13, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018
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