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Election administration in South Carolina
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in South Carolina:
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing 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.[2]
Voter registration
- 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.[3] 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.[3]
Automatic registration
South Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.[4]
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.[4]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must be residents of the county and precinct in which they are registering to vote.[3]
Verification of citizenship
South Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[3] 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.[5] 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.
Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
Early voting
- See also: 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/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
According to the South Carolina Election Commission's website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[6]
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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.[6]
Returning absentee/mail-in ballots
Once completed, the ballot must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters in South Carolina can submit their absentee/mail-in ballot to the county election office by mail or in person; they can also authorize another individual to return the ballot on their behalf.
South Carolina law states the following:
| “ | Upon receipt of the ballot or ballots, the absentee/mail-in ballot applicant must mark each ballot on which he wishes to vote and place each ballot in the single envelope marked "Ballot Herein" which in turn must be placed in the return-addressed envelope. The applicant must return the return-addressed envelope only by: (1) mail to the main office of the county board of voter registration and elections; (2) personal delivery to an election official during office hours at the main office of the county board of voter registration and elections or to an election official during office hours at an early voting center; or (3) authorizing a member of the applicant's immediate family, as defined in Section 7-15-310(8), or an authorized representative, to return the return-addressed envelope for him to an election official during office hours at the main office of the county board of voter registration and elections or to an election official during office hours at an early voting center.[8][7] | ” |
Twenty states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.
Signature requirements and cure provisions
South Carolina absentee/mail-in ballots are mailed with an oath, which the voter and a witness must sign. South Carolina law does not include a cure provision, or a provision allowing voters to correct certain issues with their absentee/mail-in ballot. According to state election law:
| “ | No ballot shall be counted unless the oath is properly signed and enclosed therewith nor shall any ballot be counted which is received by the board of voter registration and elections or other officials charged with the conduct of the election after time for closing of the polls, and the printed instructions required by item (3) of Section 7-15-200 to be sent each absentee/mail-in ballot applicant shall notify him that his vote will not be counted in either of these events.[9][7] | ” |
Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 17 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process.
Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?
Use the MyscVOTES website to check the status of your absentee ballot.
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in South Carolina
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
South Carolina requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[2][10]
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.[11]
Click here to learn more about the background of South Carolina's law.
Thirty-five states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 15 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.
Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.
Provisional balloting for voters without ID
A voter without the required photo identification may cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit stating that he or she has "a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID." For more information about provisional ballots, see below.[2]
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in South Carolina are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances. (South Carolina refers to provisional voting as failsafe voting.)[12][13]
- If the voter moves from one address to another within the same precinct, the voter can update their address at their polling place and vote a regular ballot.
- If the voter moves from one precinct to another within the same county, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
- If the voter moves from one South Carolina county to another within 30 days of an election, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
- If the voter moves from one South Carolina county to another, or from another state to South Carolina, prior to the registration deadline, they are not eligible to vote.
According to the South Carolina Election Commission, there are two methods for failsafe voting:[12]
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Was your provisional ballot counted?
A provisional ballot is rejected when the voter votes in the wrong precinct, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.[13]
Use the MyscVOTES website to check the status of your provisional ballot.
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
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.[4][14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.[15]
If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us.
Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In South Carolina, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon the completion of their sentence, including probation and parole.[3]
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[4]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[16] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[17]
When names can be removed from the voter list
South Carolina law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[18][19]
- is adjudicated mentally incompetent
- is imprisoned due to being found guilty of a crime
- is convicted of a felony or an election law offense
- confirms in writing that they have moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
- dies
- remains in inactive status through two consecutive general elections.
Inactive voter list rules
County boards of elections are required to send a notice of status to each registered voter. If a notice is returned as undeliverable, county election officials are to notify the State Election Commission, which places the voter on an inactive list. If the voter fails to respond to additional notices and does not vote in two consecutive general elections, the voter is removed from the registration list.[20]
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."[21]
Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.[22]
As of April 2023, South Carolina was participating in the ERIC program.
Post-election auditing
South Carolina state law requires post-election audits. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "The audit process compares the tabulated results of the election with the raw data collected in the electronic audit files by each voting machine on a flash card." The election commission "developed a series of computer applications that compare the tabulated returns reports with the raw audit data." Discrepancies are listed in a report. The first audit is conducted before the county certifies the election, and second audit is conducted before the election is certified.[23]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[24][25]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.[26][24]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in South Carolina.
- 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 Referendum 2B, Convicted Felons May Not Serve in Elective Office (1996)
- South Carolina Gubernatorial Elections, Amendment 1 (2012)
- South Carolina Appointment of Adjutant General, Amendment 2 (2014)
- South Carolina Elector Requirements, Amendment 1 (1970)
- South Carolina Register to Vote Qualifications, Amendment 2 (1970)
- South Carolina Amendment 1, Appointed Superintendent of Education Measure (2018)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in South Carolina. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
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Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in South Carolina, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in South Carolina. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in South Carolina
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of South Carolina's seven United States Representatives and 170 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[27][28][29][30]
South Carolina was apportioned 7 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in South Carolina after the 2020 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
In South Carolina, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[31]
South Carolina's legislative redistricting committees adopted redistricting guidelines in 2011. These guidelines recommend that all congressional and state legislative districts be contiguous and "attempt to preserve communities of interest and cores of incumbents' existing districts." Further, the guidelines suggest that districts should "adhere to county, municipal, and voting precinct boundary lines." These guidelines may modified by the legislature at its discretion.[31]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in South Carolina can contact the following local, South Carolina, and federal agencies.
South Carolina Voter Registration and Elections Offices
South Carolina State Election Commission
- Physical Address: 1122 Lady Street, Suite 500
- Columbia, South Carolina 29201
- Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5987
- Columbia, South Carolina 29250-5987
- Phone: 803-734-9060
- Fax: 803-734-9366
- Email: elections@elections.sc.gov
- Website: https://scvotes.gov
South Carolina State Ethics Commission
- 201 Executive Center Drive, Suite 150
- Columbia, South Carolina 29210
- Phone: 803-253-4192
- Fax: 803-253-7539
- Email: https://ethics.sc.gov/about-us/contact-us
- Website: https://ethics.sc.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2026
See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
- Voting in South Carolina
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Carolina
- Redistricting in South Carolina
Elections in South Carolina
- South Carolina elections, 2025
- South Carolina elections, 2024
- South Carolina elections, 2023
- 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
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 2.2 South Carolina Election Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election," accessed August 20, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 South Carolina Election Commission, “Register to Vote,” accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 13, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 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."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 South Carolina State Election Commission, "Absentee Voting," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Justia, “SC Code § 7-15-385 (2022),” accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ Justia, “SC Code § 7-15-230 (2022),” accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 South Carolina Election Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election," accessed September 23, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 NCSL, "Provisional Ballots," accessed August 13, 2024
- ↑ South Carolina Legislature,"South Carolina Code of Laws Unannotated § 7-9-10," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ NOLO, "Taking Time Off to Vote," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ As of May 2024, the Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "SC Code § 7-5-340 (2022)," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "SC Code § 7-5-350 (2022)," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ Justia, "SC Code § 7-5-330 (2023)," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ ERIC, "FAQ," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," September 22, 2022
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in October 2024, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 All About Redistricting, "South Carolina," accessed May 8, 2015
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