Voting in South Carolina

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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)

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)

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.

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.