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South Carolina judicial elections: Difference between revisions

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{{South Carolina courts}}
{{South Carolina courts}}
[[category:South Carolina judicial elections]]
[[category:South Carolina judicial elections]]
[[Category:Judicial elections by state]][[Category:South Carolina]]

Revision as of 15:22, 21 January 2020

Most judges in South Carolina do not participate in popular elections, but instead are chosen by the legislative election of judges. Judges are also chosen via this method in Virginia.

The exception is the election of probate court judges. These judges compete in partisan elections in every other general election year.[1]

South Carolina is one of 21 states that have nonpartisan or partisan judicial elections. There are also 17 states with judicial retention elections at some or all levels of state courts and three states with partisan judicial elections followed by retention elections.

Elections

Election rules

Primary election

Primary elections for probate court candidates are conducted on the second Tuesday in June.[2]

Unopposed candidates

Unopposed candidates for the probate courts do not appear on the primary ballots, but automatically advance to the general election.[3]

Runoffs

Also referred to as a "second primary," a primary runoff is held two weeks after the primary for races where more than two candidates filed to compete for one seat in a party primary. If that is the case, the two highest-voted candidates from the primary advance to a runoff. The person with the most votes in the runoff becomes the party's nominee for the general election.[4]

For example, if two Democratic candidates compete in the primary, the winner simply advances to the general election. However, if three Democratic candidates compete in the primary, the top two advance to the runoff. The winner of the runoff would face any Republican candidate in the general election.

See also

South Carolina Judicial Selection More Courts
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Courts in South Carolina
South Carolina Court of Appeals
South Carolina Supreme Court
Elections: 2026202520242023202220212020201920182017
Gubernatorial appointments
Judicial selection in South Carolina
Federal courts
State courts
Local courts

Footnotes