News

The November 5 elections were the first widespread use of the new voting system

COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 6, 2019) – Yesterday, thousands of voters in the more than 180 local elections in 40 counties cast their ballots on South Carolina’s new paper-based voting system. This was the first widespread use of the new system, and the S.C. State Election Commission is pleased to report the transition was a success. 

“Election officials across the state have worked tirelessly over the past four months implementing the new system, attending training and making preparations,” said Marci Andino, executive director of the State Election Commission. “Yesterday’s successful election is a testament to their hard work. This was a tremendous opportunity for both voters and election officials to make sure we’re ready for the first statewide elections on the new system in 2020.”

October 1, 2019 - Aiken County

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS - Click for results page. Results will be posted after 7:00 p.m. on October 1.

Important Dates & Deadlines

Filing Opens:  Noon, Friday, June 7

Filing Closes:  Noon, Saturday, June 15

Click Here for Candidate Tracking - Get candidate names and information (available after filing opens).

June 30 - Voter Registration Deadline for Primary

July 30 - Primary

August 13 - Primary Runoff

September 1 - Voter Registration Deadline for Special Election

October 1 - Special Election

Candidate Filing Information

COLUMBIA, SC (September 23, 2019) – The South Carolina State Election Commission, along with Americans across the nation, will be celebrating National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) on Tuesday, September 24, 2019. This is a nationwide effort to register voters before upcoming elections in November.

The State Election Commission encourages all South Carolinians to exercise their right to vote in all elections, including the more than 180 local elections being held throughout the state on November 5. The first step to doing that is registering to vote. But it’s not only November; there’s an election happening nearly every Tuesday somewhere in the state.  Click here for a complete list of upcoming elections.

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY THE DEADLINE TO VOTE IN A NOVEMBER 5 ELECTION.

Registering to vote has never been easier:

August 20, 2019 - Greenville County

Special Election Results

Primary Results

Important Dates Deadlines

Noon, Friday, April 19 - Filing Opens

Noon, Saturday, April 27 - Filing Closes

Click Here for Candidate Tracking- Get candidate names and information (available after filing opens).

May 19 - Voter Registration Deadline for Primary

June 18- Primary

July 21 - Voter Registration Deadline for Special Election

August 20 - Special Election

Candidate Filing Information

August 13, 2019 - Aiken County

Runoff Results

July 30, 2019 - Aiken County

Primary Results

COLUMBIA, SC (July 15, 2019) - The S.C. State Election Commission (SEC) is aware of recent reporting raising concerns over the fact the current version of ElectionWare runs on Windows 7, and Microsoft plans to discontinue general support of Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. South Carolina fully expects to be using a new version of ElectionWare that runs on Windows 10 for all elections in 2020.

The State of South Carolina recently procured a new paper-based voting system from Election Systems & Software (ES&S), which is being implemented in preparation for statewide use beginning January 1, 2020. The voting system consists of ExpressVote ballot-marking devices, ballot scanners/tabulators, and ElectionWare workstations, among other associated items. ElectionWare workstations are used to create ballots and to accumulate election results.

June 18, 2019 - Greenville County

Primary Results

COLUMBIA, SC (June 10, 2019) – The state of South Carolina today announced the award of a contract for a new statewide voting system. After a lengthy evaluation of numerous proposals, an evaluation panel unanimously selected the Election Systems and Software (ES&S) ExpressVote voting system. The new paper-based system will replace the state’s aging paperless system that has been in place since 2004.

The SEC is in the process of replacing its current, paperless statewide voting system with a new voting system solution that features a paper record of each voter’s voted ballot.  On this page, you will find news, information and informative links related to the replacement effort.

Voting System Replacement Facts:

Before any voting system is used in an election, it must be approved by the State Election Commission, which must examine and test the system to ensure the system may be accurately and efficiently used by voters in elections, as provided by law (S.C. Code 7-13-1620).  This approval is in addition to the requirement that the system be certified by a testing laboratory accredited by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.  Currently, the system must be certified to Voluntary Voting System Guidelines Version 1.0.

This approval does not mean a system will necessarily be used in elections outside of field testing.  The system must also be adopted for use by the State Election Commission (S.C. Code 7-13-1655).  A single system will be adopted for use following the procurement process.

The table below lists each voting system submitted and steps completed in the approval process.

February 19, 2019 - Greenwood and Laurens Counties

State House District 14 Primary Results