How To Register To Vote in South Carolina
You can register to vote in person at your county board, online using your driver’s license, or by submitting a completed registration form by fax, email, or mail.
South Carolina sets the voter registration deadline at least 30 days before each election date. If you’re not sure whether you are registered, check with your county voter registration office. Make sure your address and contact details are up to date. South Carolina does not register voters by political party.
Early In-Person Voting
South Carolina provides a two-week early voting window for the statewide primary election and general elections. Early voting locations run Monday through Saturday during the two weeks leading up to an election. For statewide general elections, early voting centers are open between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day. Early voting locations are closed on Sundays and legal holidays.
Any registered voter can vote early, and there’s no requirement to supply a reason. You can go to any early voting center in your county if you bring a voter ID or an acceptable photo ID. Check scvotes.gov for your center’s hours and location, as these may vary by county.
What Do I Need To Bring to the Polls?
In South Carolina, you must show a voter ID or an acceptable photo ID when voting in person. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- A South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles identification card, including a SC Concealed Weapons Permit
- A South Carolina driver’s license or a DMV-issued photo ID card from any U.S. state
- A South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph
- A federal military ID, including all Department of Defense photo IDs and the VA Benefits card
- A U.S. passport or passport card
If you arrive without an acceptable photo ID, you can still cast a provisional ballot. To make sure your vote counts, bring a valid photo ID to your county voter registration and elections office before they certify election results. Certification usually happens on Thursday or Friday after Election Day.
What if There’s an Issue With My ID or Registration?
If there’s an issue at the polls on Election Day, South Carolina law offers another way to vote. You may cast a provisional ballot at your polling location under the following circumstances:
- You do not have an acceptable photo ID with you: The county board will count your provisional ballot if you present valid photo identification to your county board of voter registration and elections before they verify election results. Make sure you bring a valid form of ID with you when you show up to validate.
- A poll manager disputes whether the photo on your ID is yours: The county board determines its validity through the challenge procedure. If it’s agreed that you are the correct person casting the ballot, your vote is counted.
- You have a religious objection to being photographed and, therefore, cannot obtain a photo ID: You may sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury at the polling location affirming your identity, the fact that you cast the ballot, and your religious objection. The county board will count your ballot unless it finds reason to question the affidavit’s truthfulness.
- A reasonable impediment prevents you from obtaining a photo ID: Qualifying impediments include a disability, lack of transportation, a work schedule conflict, or a comparable barrier beyond your control. You may sign an affidavit at the polls describing the impediment. Your ballot will be counted unless the county board finds reason to believe the affidavit is false.
- Your eligibility is challenged at the polling location for any reason: South Carolina law permits any poll manager, voter, or qualified watcher to challenge a voter’s eligibility before a ballot is cast. If challenged, you may cast a provisional ballot, and the county board will determine its validity.
Don’t leave the polls without casting a provisional ballot.
How Do I Request an Absentee Ballot?
South Carolina offers absentee voting by mail. It is available only to voters who qualify under the specific grounds listed in state law.
Absentee-eligible voters into two categories based on their circumstances. The first category covers voters who must show they cannot participate at any point during the early voting period or on Election Day. Qualifying grounds include:
- Employment obligations, provided the voter submits a written certification of those obligations to the county board of voter registration and elections.
- Serving as a caregiver for a person who is ill or physically disabled
- Confinement in a jail or pretrial detention facility while awaiting disposition of arrest or trial
- Absence from the voter’s county of residence throughout the entire early voting period and on Election Day
The second category carries no such requirement. These voters may cast an absentee ballot regardless of whether in-person voting would otherwise be possible:
- Voters with a physical disability
- Voters who are 65 years of age or older
- Active duty Armed Forces and Merchant Marine members, along with their qualifying spouses and dependents
- Voters admitted to a hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within the four days immediately preceding it
To file an absentee ballot application, visit South Carolina’s absentee ballot page and follow the instructions provided. You may also visit your local voter registration office to request a ballot in person.
The deadline to return a completed application by mail or through an authorized representative is 5:00 p.m. on the 11th day before the election. Voters who apply in person at the county board of voter registration and elections office may do so until 5:00 p.m. on the day immediately preceding the election, provided they qualify.
When you send back your completed ballot, sign the voter’s oath on the return envelope. You also need a witness who is at least 18 years old to sign. Your county voter registration office must receive your ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
What Special Accommodations Are Available?
South Carolina offers help for voters with disabilities. At the polls, you can ask for help marking your ballot, vote from your car with curbside voting, or get large-print materials. You can also get assistance if you are deaf or hard of hearing. For a full list of accessibility options, visit the South Carolina Election Commission‘s accessibility page.
If you believe a polling location has failed to provide legally required accommodations, a civil rights attorney can help you understand whether your rights were violated and what steps to take.
Your Rights at the Polls
South Carolina law offers important protections for voters at the polls, including:
- The right to a private ballot: No one may pressure you to reveal your vote, and you can cast your ballot without interference or observation
- The right to vote if you are in line: South Carolina polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, and any registered voter standing in line when the polls close has the right to remain and cast their ballot
- The right to a provisional ballot: State law allows you to cast a provisional ballot in specific situations, as we discussed above
If you are blind, have a disability, or are unable to read or write, you may request help marking your ballot. The chairman of the managers will appoint one poll manager along with a person of your choice to assist you. Your chosen helper may not be your employer, your employer’s agent, or an officer or agent of your union. Instead of that arrangement, you may have a family member assist you. If you are blind, you may alternatively have any person of your choosing provide assistance.
What Does South Carolina Law Prohibit at the Polls?
Knowing what the state law allows at your polling place helps you know how to respond if something does not seem right. Things that are illegal at the polls on Election Day include:
- Campaign materials: State law prohibits distributing campaign literature or placing political signage within 500 feet of any polling place entrance during polling hours on Election Day. This also applies throughout the early voting period.
- Political apparel: Voters are expected to refrain from displaying candidate names, political party insignia, or ballot issue advocacy on clothing, buttons, or hats inside the polling place. The law authorizes poll managers and other election officials to maintain order and prevent electioneering conduct inside the polls.
- Voter intimidation: Threatening, mistreating, or abusing a voter to control or interfere with their right to vote is a felony. It carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Using threats or intimidation to influence how someone votes is a misdemeanor. It is punishable by a fine of between $100 and $500, up to three years in prison, or both.
- Voter fraud: Casting a ballot when ineligible, impersonating another registered voter, or using force, deception, or bribery to control is illegal. Violators face felony charges.
- Wireless devices and cameras: Use of cameras or wireless devices is generally prohibited after a voter passes the check-in station. There are exceptions for accessibility and for viewing a sample ballot.
- Firearms: Leave your gun at home when you head out to vote. State law prohibits firearms at all polling locations on Election Day and during the early voting period.
The following are generally permitted near polling locations:
- Candidates and campaign staff may campaign outside a polling place, provided they remain beyond the 500-foot buffer zone measured from the entrance
- A candidate may wear a badge or button displaying their name and the office they are seeking, provided it does not exceed 4.25″ × 4.25″ and they remove it before entering the polling place
- Duly appointed poll watchers may observe the voting process as provided under state law
- Voters may bring a minor child or another person in their care into the polling location
Understanding and following these rules can help to keep problems to a minimum on Election Day.
How To Report a Problem at the Polls
If you witness suspicious activity at the polls, including suspected voter fraud, intimidation, or harassment, you can report it to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division by phone or online. You can also contact your county board of voter registration and elections, or report possible federal election law violations to the U.S. Department of Justice Voting Section.
At the polls, you can report a suspected problem to one of the election officials. Do not try to confront a person you suspect of breaking election laws yourself. If you feel you have been threatened or intimidated, contact local law enforcement or speak with a civil rights attorney. Voter intimidation is a felony in South Carolina.
Getting Legal Help
A voting rights or civil rights attorney can review what happened at the polls, identify whether state or federal law was violated, and help you pursue a remedy. If you believe your right to vote was interfered with, contact a civil rights attorney near you. Many offer free initial consultations and can help you understand your options before you decide on the next steps.
POLLING PLACE FINDER
