The next election in South Carolina is South Carolina General Election on .
More than 940 positions are up for election ranging from federal positions including President of the United States to county offices like Dorchester County Probate Judge.
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.
Get StartedThere may be additional rules or exceptions to the deadlines shown. Please see voting information below for more details.
Online applications must be submitted by
In-person applications must be submitted by
Mail-in applications must be postmarked by
Absentee ballots may be requested in person until
Mail-in requests must be received by
Mail-in ballots must be received by
Election Day is
You can register to vote in South Carolina by using one of the following methods:
You can also register to vote on BallotReady.org.
The process of changing your voter registration is similar to registering to vote for the first time. You can update your voter registration online, by mail, or in-person. You can also use BallotReady.org to check your voter registration status.
Remember that the deadline to change your voter registration is 30 days before the election.
The identification that you need to register to vote in South Carolina varies based on the method of registration:
Be prepared to show a current valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address in this county. If you do not provide this identification now, you will be required to provide this information when you vote. Voters who are age 65 and over, voters with disabilities, members of the U.S. Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines and their families, and U.S. Citizens residing outside the U.S. are exempt from this requirement.
You must provide at least the last four digits of your social security number. You may provide your full social security number on a voluntary basis. Social security number does not appear on any report produced by the State Election Commission nor is it released to any unauthorized individual. (South Carolina Title 7-5-170).
You must have a valid driver's license or identification card issued by the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.
For more information on voting requirements for your state, make a plan to vote on BallotReady.org.
Residents of South Carolina can check their voter registration status through the following methods:
You can also check your voter registration on BallotReady.org.
In South Carolina, you need to be registered to vote at least 30 days before an election to be eligible to cast a ballot.
For the upcoming South Carolina General Election, your voter registration application must be:
No, South Carolina does not have same-day voter registration. This means you cannot register to vote on Election Day. You must register at least 30 days before an election in order to vote.
No, in South Carolina, you cannot register to vote during early voting. To cast your vote in an election, make sure you’re registered at least 30 days in advance.
South Carolina residents that fit the following criteria are eligible to register to vote:
South Carolina gives voters the option to choose a political party when registering to vote. It is not required to register, but choosing “no party preference” could limit your ability to participate in presidential primary elections and caucuses.
Note: In-person early voting is sometimes referred to as 'in-person absentee', 'over-the-counter voting', 'assisted voting', or other similar titles. These are all essentially the same processes and will be discussed as one in this section.
For the upcoming South Carolina General Election, any registered voter may vote early in person.
In-person early voting may happen in a variety of locations like county election offices, city halls or municipal buildings, public libraries, schools, and community centers. It’s important to note that the availability of early voting can vary significantly by state or even county. They may also change from election to election, so be sure to check your early voting location before you head to the polls.
You can use BallotReady.org to make a plan to vote early and find a specific in-person early voting location, based on your address.
You may also be able to find information on in-person early voting on South Carolina’s Secretary of State website.
For the South Carolina General Election, the dates for in-person early voting are as follows:
Generally, in-person early voting in person begins 15 days before Election Day and ends 3 days before Election Day. However, it’s worth checking the specific early voting dates for upcoming elections, as these dates can change or differ for local elections.
According to the South Carolina Election Commission website, you must present one of the following forms of ID at a polling place on Election Day to comply with South Carolina’s voter ID laws:
Includes standard license and REAL ID
Includes standard ID card and REAL ID
Includes SC Concealed Weapons Permit
Includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card
Includes US Passport ID Card
It’s extremely important to have the appropriate ID when you go to your polling place to vote. However, if you’re not able to present one of the required forms of identification, ask a poll worker about what options you have to vote via provisional ballot.
A provisional ballot gives you the opportunity to vote when your voter registration is not able to be verified. After Election Day, election officials will attempt to verify that you voted in the correct district. This option is only recommended in exceptional circumstances – for example, you forgot your voter ID and you won’t be able to make it back to your polling place before it closes.
Election Day voting hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at all polling places statewide in South Carolina.
The Help America Vote Act of 2002 states that election officials conducting federal elections must ensure that each polling place has at least one accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities. This system should provide the same level of privacy and independence as those available to other voters.
Plan ahead by getting in touch with an election authority at the state, county, or municipal level to learn more about what specific accommodations are available at your polling place.
For voters in South Carolina, you can find more information on this page from the South Carolina Election Commission.
According to the South Carolina Secretary of State, these are the people who can vote absentee in South Carolina:
If you change your mind about voting by mail, you can still vote in person by casting a provisional ballot.
South Carolina requires voters to pay for their own postage when mailing back their ballot.
You can track your ballot by visiting South Carolina’s ballot tracker on this site.
If you make a plan to vote on BallotReady.org, you’ll receive information regarding:
In some states, absentee voting information can be different based on where you’re located. In our Civic Center, you’ll learn more about how to vote absentee based on your address.
South Carolina Election Commission. Accessed July 17th, 2024.
Early Voting | South Carolina Election Commission. Accessed July 31, 2024.
MIT Election Data + Science Lab. Accessed August 1, 2024.
ID Requirements | South Carolina Election Commission. Accessed August 6, 2024.
Voters with Disabilities | South Carolina Election Commission. Accessed August 6, 2024.
Democracy Maps. Accessed August 7, 2024.
MySCVotes. Accessed August 7, 2024.
South Carolina Primary Runoff Election was held on .
South Carolina Primary Election was held on .
South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary Election was held on .
South Carolina Democratic Presidential Primary Election was held on .
South Carolina General Election was held on .
South Carolina Primary Runoff Election was held on .
South Carolina Primary Election was held on .
South Carolina General Election was held on .
South Carolina Primary Election was held on .
South Carolina Democratic Presidential Primary was held on .
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.