When Is The Next Election In South Carolina - T-Tees - Your Answers Await, Life's Questions Unraveled

Table of Contents

Other elections View elections by state and year:

You may be interested

Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content.

You are viewing: When Is The Next Election In South Carolina

This page provides information on the 2023 elections in South Carolina, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions.

<< South Carolina elections, 2022 | South Carolina elections, 2024 >>

Election dates

Statewide election dates in South Carolina are listed below. For more dates, please see the elections calendar.

Statewide election dates

There were no statewide elections in South Carolina this year. See the Ballotpedia calendar page for more election dates.

Offices on the ballot

Noteworthy elections

So far, Ballotpedia has not highlighted any elections in this state. Have a suggestion of one we should cover in more detail? Click here and let us know.

Frequently asked questions

When are the polls open?

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.[1]See State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2023) for more information

Where can I find election results?

Election results are posted on Ballotpedia’s election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can find links to the current election overview pages in the “Offices on the ballot” section of this page.

How do primaries work 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.[2][3][4][5]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

How do I register to vote?

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.[6] 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.[6]

Refer to more articles: When Things Go Wrong Quotes

Is there an early voting period?

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. Some states allow voters to cast absentee ballots in person.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.*[7]

*Note: On Feb. 23, 2024, Delaware Superior Court judge Mark Conner ruled that early voting was unconstitutional in the state, saying that the laws are “inconsistent with our constitution and therefore cannot stand.” On Feb. 29, lawmakers introduced legislation, SB3, to restore in-person early voting. On Feb. 27, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced that she would appeal the decision to the Delaware Supreme Court and said, “We will file our appeal quickly and intend to request a decision from the Delaware Supreme Court so that voters have final clarity in time for the September primaries.”[8]

Who is eligible for absentee voting?

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

The table below displays absentee voting information specific to South Carolina’s 2024 election cycle.

According to the South Carolina Election Commission’s website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[9]

“

Persons with employment obligations which prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
Persons attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
Persons confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
Persons with physical disabilities.
Persons sixty-five years of age or older.
Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them (Learn more about procedures related to Military and Overseas Citizens).
Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.[10]

Refer to more articles: When Does Mit Ea Come Out

”

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.[9]

What are the voter ID laws in South Carolina?

See Voter identification laws by state.

How do I file to run for office?

See Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Carolina for information on how to run for state or federal office.

What does Ballotpedia cover?

Ballotpedia’s coverage extends to all elections on the federal level, all gubernatorial, state legislative, statewide ballot measure, and statewide judicial elections, as well as many other types of state executive offices. Ballotpedia also covers all elections in the U.S. territories, but not elections in other countries.

Local election coverage includes comprehensive ballot coverage for municipal and judicial elections in the top 100 cities by population and races for the large counties that overlap them. In the state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities, it includes coverage of mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections. It also includes school board elections in the top 200 largest school districts by enrollment, all California local ballot measures, and notable local ballot measures from across the nation.

Please note that Ballotpedia’s election coverage does not encompass all local offices. Election information is not published in a timely manner for many local offices, which makes it infeasible to gather the necessary data given our limited resources. However, Ballotpedia’s coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia’s sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.

How do I contact Ballotpedia with a question?

Email us at [email protected].

Local election officials

Redistricting following the 2020 census

This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.

May 15, 2023: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the South Carolina legislature’s appeal of the federal three-judge panel’s ruling that the state’s 1st Congressional District was unconstitutional.
February 17, 2023: Thomas Alexander (R)—in his capacity as South Carolina State Senate president—appealed the federal court’s ruling that required the state to redraw its congressional district boundaries to the U.S. Supreme Court.
January 6, 2023: A federal three-judge panel ruled that the state’s 1st Congressional District was unconstitutional and enjoined the state from conducting future elections using its district boundaries. The ruling ordered the General Assembly to submit a remedial map for its review by March 31, 2023.
January 26, 2022: Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed the Congressional map into law.
January 26, 2022:The South Carolina House approved an amended congressional map proposal in a 72-33 vote.
January 20, 2022: The South Carolina Senate approved a congressional district map proposal.
January 19, 2022: The South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee voted 14-8 to approve a congressional map proposal.
January 13, 2022: The full South Carolina House approved a congressional map proposal in a 74-35 vote.
January 10, 2022: The House Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee and House Judiciary Committee approved a congressional map proposal.
December 24, 2021: The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the State of South Carolina arguing that the state’s House maps were illegally drawn.
December 22, 2021: The House released a congressional map proposal.
December 16, 2021: The House released a congressional map proposal.
December 10, 2021: Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed the state legislative map proposals into law.
December 9, 2021: The House approved state legislative maps and sent them to Gov. McMaster.
December 7, 2021: The Senate approved state legislative map proposals.
December 6, 2021: The Senate Judiciary Committee passed a proposed map of Senate districts in a 22-1 vote.
December 2, 2021: The House approved a proposed map of its own districts in a 96-14 vote.
November 18, 2021: Senate President Harvey Peeler (R) said senators will meet Decemeber 6 at 1 p.m. in a special session to address redistricting.
November 16, 2021: The House Judiciary Committee voted 21-2 to approve a House district proposal.
November 8, 2021 The House Judiciary Committee released a House district proposal.
November 4, 2021: The Senate Redistricting Committee released a Senate map proposal.
October 16, 2021: The Senate Judiciary Committee released a series of Senate map proposals.
October 12, 2021: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the South Carolina chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit in federal court against the South Carolina Legislature asking the court to set a deadline for legislators to return to session.
September 24, 2021: South Carolina Senate President Harvey Peeler (R) canceled a special senate session originally scheduled to begin October 12, 2021.
September 16, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau released data from the 2020 census in an easier-to-use format to state redistricting authorities and the public.
September 8, 2021: The South Carolina House Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee began its round of 10 public hearings meant to solicit citizen feedback on reapportionment of the South Carolina General Assembly.
August 12, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered redistricting data to states in a legacy format.
April 26, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered apportionment counts.