Voting in South Carolina
Last Updated September 15th, 2021
Voter Registration In South Carolina
Who Can Register In South Carolina
To register to vote in South Carolina, you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be a resident of South Carolina, this county and precinct
- Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election
- Not be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent
- Not be confined in any public prison resulting from a conviction of a crime
- Not have ever been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws, or if previously convicted, have served the entire sentence, including probation or parole, or have received a pardon for the conviction
You must register to vote at least 30 days before the election you wish to vote in.
South Carolina Election Day Registration
South Carolina does not offer Election Day registration, so be sure to submit your voter registration before the deadline.
Pre-registration
You can pre-register to vote in South Carolina if you will turn 18 by the next election.
Voting Rights Restoration
South Carolina does remove voting rights for people with felony convictions. Voting rights are automatically restored upon completion of a sentence, including probation or parole, or by receiving a pardon.
If you have a past conviction, learn more about your eligibility to vote here.
Voting In South Carolina
Where To Vote In South Carolina
Vote-by-mail & Absentee
Voters can only vote absentee/by mail in South Carolina with an approved excuse. The provision expanding absentee voting under the excuse of "Statewide Emergency" has expired. Approved excuses include:
- Members of the Armed Forces
- Members of the Merchant Marine
- Spouses and dependents residing with members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine
- 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
- Citizens residing overseas
- Persons who are physically disabled (includes illnesses and injuries)
- Students attending school 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
- Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election -Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
- Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
- Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election
- Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
- Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
- Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
- Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
- Persons sixty-five years of age or older
- Persons who for religious reasons do not want to vote on a Saturday (Presidential Primaries Only)
Early Voting In South Carolina
South Carolina offers in-person early voting. You may vote absentee in person up until 5pm on the day before election day. Voters can only vote early with an approved excuse. Approved excuses include:
- Members of the Armed Forces
- Members of the Merchant Marine
- Spouses and dependents residing with members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine
- 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
- Citizens residing overseas
- Persons who are physically disabled (includes illnesses and injuries)
- Students attending school 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
- Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them
- Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
- Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
- Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election
- Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
- Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
- Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
- Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
- Persons sixty-five years of age or older
- Persons who for religious reasons do not want to vote on a Saturday (Presidential Primaries Only)
Primary Elections In South Carolina
South Carolina has open primaries, but you are only allowed to participate in one party’s primary (this affiliation lasts only for primaries, except in the case of a runoff where you must vote the same as you voted in the primary). 17-year-olds can vote in the primary election if they will be 18 by the corresponding general election.
Voter ID In South Carolina
Voter ID Requirements
Photo ID is required to vote in South Carolina. Valid forms of ID include:
- SC Driver's License
- SC Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card (includes SC Concealed Weapons Permit)
- SC Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID (includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card)
- US Passport (includes US Passport ID Card)
If you do not have an approved form of ID, you can get a free Photo ID from your county voter registration and elections office or your local DMV office. If you're already registered to vote, you can go to your county voter registration and elections office, provide your date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security Number, and have your photo taken.
If you go to your polling place without an approved form of ID, you may vote a provisional ballot that will count only if you show your Photo ID to the election commission prior to certification of the election (usually Thursday or Friday after the election).
If you can’t get a photo ID, you can bring your voter registration card to polls, vote a provisional ballot, and sign an affidavit stating you have a reasonable impediment to obtaining Photo ID. A reasonable impediment is any valid reason, beyond your control, which created an obstacle to obtaining a photo ID. This ballot will count unless someone proves to the election commission that you are lying about your identity or about having the listed impediment.
Additional South Carolina Resources
Your State Election Official
Chair of the State Election Commission
John Wells
https://www.scvotes.org/
Phone number: 803.734.9060