Learn about all the options to vote in South Carolina to make a plan to vote that works for you!
South Carolina Elections Office Phone Number: (803) 734-9060
Whether you are registering to vote for the first time, or need to update your address, name or party affiliation - we've got you covered!
Not sure if you are eligible to vote due to a felony conviction?
Click here to learn more.
Absolutely! You can check your voter registration online on South Carolina’s elections office website here.
It can take several weeks. Most states send out voter registration cards within 5 to 7 weeks after receiving the registration. If you do not receive a registration card in the mail, contact your state election office to confirm you are registered. Find your state’s contact information in our How to Vote in Your State section on this page! In any event, you should verify your registration a week prior to the voter registration deadline in your state in case you need to fill out a new registration form or correct your form.
Elections take place all the time throughout the year, and odds are, you probably have an election coming up in your state! In addition to the presidential election and midterm elections, you have statewide, countywide and municipal elections that you can make your voice heard in. Make sure you know when your upcoming elections are so that you don’t miss a single one! Check out when your next election is here.
Your state provides an online ballot tracking system. You can track your ballot here!
YES you are able to register to vote at your student address. You should provide your official campus mailing address as well as the actual physical address of your on or off campus residence when registering to vote. You must have some sort of proof of address and residency that can be presented at your polling place (mail, a student ID, etc.). For more information, we suggest visiting your state’s elections office website. Remember: you can only register to vote and vote in one place, whether that is your student address or your home address!
YES, unhoused voters can register to vote and use their voice in South Carolina’s elections. Unhoused voters or voters without a permanent address may list a shelter address, street corner, or park as their address. For more information on voting while unhoused, visit our friends at the National Coalition for the Homeless.
YES. In this case you must register at the last address you had before you left the USA, or at the address to which you will return to when returning to the USA (you must present some indication of a present intent to return and live there – e.g. vehicle registration, driver’s license, property ownership, family, etc). If you have never had a permanent address in the United States but are a citizen you are allowed to register at an address you plan on moving to or an address where you currently have family living. Access more information on voting overseas here.
You may call the voting rights hotline at 866 687-8683, if informing another poll worker isn’t successful. They have lawyers ready to help you. Additionally, you can call the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice.
You can also find South Carolina’s elections office here and contact them by phone at (803) 734-9060.
Request and track
Notice: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but your ballot might not count if it’s submitted late or with errors. So follow the directions below on how to vote early or absentee and make your vote count in South Carolina.
Excuse required to vote by mail.
Voting by mail is a two step process in South Carolina.
Step 1: Request your ballot NOW. You must contact your county voter registration office to request a ballot. The deadline for your application to be received is 11 days before Election Day. An excuse is necessary in order to vote by mail.
Step 2: Complete and return your ballot ASAP.
Grab a friend! After you fill out your ballot, sign the voter's oath on the return envelope. The witness must sign, too.
Remember to sign where indicated before returning your ballot.
The outside of the ballot carrier envelope. You must sign in the presence of a witness, who will also sign.
If you return your ballot by mail, you must add postage when mailing in your ballot.
You can also drop off your ballot in person at your local elections office.
Anyone you designate may return your ballot. You will have to complete an Authorization to Return Absentee Ballot Form with the person returning your ballot before your ballot is returned.
Track your ballot by clicking here.
If you would like to vote in person, you must first return your unmarked absentee ballot to your county board of voter registration. They will give you a certificate. You then take the certificate to your polling place and show it to the poll workers. You can then vote in person.
South Carolina does not offer voters a chance to address challenges to their ballot. Your ballot will not count if it is late, or you do not follow directions.
South Carolina voters must provide a valid photo ID to vote. Valid forms of identification include;
If a voter has a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID, they may list that impediment, present a current non-photo voter registration card and sign an affidavit at the polls in order to receive a provisional ballot.
Enter your address below to see what you can expect on Election Day.
Your state automatically registers people to vote at the address on their drivers license or other state issued ID card. If you have moved but have not updated your ID with your new address, changed your name or want to add a political party selection, you must update your voter registration. Click here to check to see if you are registered to vote, and update your registration if needed.
You can register to vote and cast your ballot on Election Day at your polling place or local elections office. Bring a valid ID and proof of residence with you.
Dates and hours vary by county. Contact your Local Election Office for more information.
Early voting is available to all voters at any early voting center in your county.
Some states have laws that specifically allow citizens to preregister at a certain age while others allow registration as long as you’re 18 by the next election. Preregistration means you’ll be automatically registered to vote on your 18th birthday without taking any additional steps.
In South Carolina, you can preregister to vote if you are 18 by election day. Register to vote today!
Some states even let you vote in their primaries at 17 if you’ll be 18 by the general election so you can participate in the whole process!
You can vote in the South Carolina primaries if you are 18 by the next election.
