Press Releases

COLUMBIA, SC (October 12, 2018) - Absentee voting for the November 6, 2018 General Election is underway at county elections offices throughout the state.  As of this morning, approximately 45,000 voters had applied for absentee ballots statewide.  At this point in the process in 2014, the last gubernatorial election, approximately 30,000 voters had applied for absentee ballots statewide.

Voters who are age 65 and older, who will be on vacation, or who can’t go to the polls due to their job are all qualified to vote absentee.   If you meet one of these or any of the other qualifying reasons, you can vote early by absentee ballot.  The State Election Commission wants you to know how to vote absentee and the deadlines for doing so.

Voting Absentee In-Person:

• Visit your county elections office, complete an application, and cast your ballot. 
• Available until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5.

Voting Absentee by Mail:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (October 8, 2018) – Postcards are being mailed to South Carolina residents who are most likely eligible to vote but have not yet registered.  These postcards are being sent today to approximately 950,000 South Carolina residents, encouraging them to register by October 17th so they can vote in the 2018 General Election.

The mailing was planned as part of South Carolina’s recent membership in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).  ERIC is an organization operated by member states which uses motor vehicle, voter registration, and Social Security Administration data to improve the accuracy of voter registration lists.  To join, member states are required to reach out by mail to residents who are likely eligible but not registered letting them know how and when to register to vote. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (October 2, 2018) – South Carolina citizens now have more time to register to vote ahead of the 2018 General Election after the court today ordered the voter registration deadline extended to October 17.

The 10-day extension was necessary to protect the voting rights of South Carolina residents due to the widespread impact of Hurricane Florence.  Many citizens have been displaced and are struggling to recover, and many county voter registration offices were closed for considerable periods of time.

While the deadline was extended due to the impact of Hurricane Florence, the October 17 deadline applies to voters in all counties.

YOU MUST REGISTER BY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17 TO VOTE IN THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION.

There are many ways to register in South Carolina, and it has never been easier:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 24, 2018) – To help ensure voters are prepared for the November 6 Statewide General Election, the State Election Commission is joining thousands of other election officials and others across the country to celebrate National Voter Registration Day.

The first step to ensuring every vote matters and every vote counts is making sure everyone has the opportunity to register to vote.

TO VOTE IN THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION, YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7.

Are you already registered?  Visit scvotes.org and click “Check My Registration” to make sure your registration is up-to-date.

There are many ways to register in South Carolina, and it has never been easier:

The following Constitutional Amendment Question will appear on ballots in the November 6, 2018 General Election:

Amendment 1

Must Section 7, Article VI of the Constitution of this State, relating to state constitutional officers, be amended so as to provide that beginning in January 2023, or upon a vacancy in the office of Superintendent of Education after the date of the ratification of the provisions of this paragraph, whichever occurs first, the Superintendent of Education must be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate; to provide that the appointed Superintendent of Education shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor; and to require the General Assembly to provide by law for the duties, compensation, and qualifications for the office?

Explanation

Topics include election infrastructure security, voting system implementation and auditing methods

COLUMBIA, S.C. (August 8, 2018) – The S.C. State Election Commission (SEC) concluded its 2018 Election Security and Technology Workshop today in Columbia, S.C.  Approximately 150 election officials and county information technology staff from all 46 counties in the state attended the two-day workshop.  Attendees received valuable cybersecurity information and training, viewed the latest in voting system technologies and learned how other states are using paper ballot audits to confirm election results.

COLUMBIA, SC (June 20, 2018) – The State Election Commission wants to make sure voters understand the rules for voting in the Primary Runoffs on Tuesday, June 26.  Voters who voted in the June 12 Primaries are limited to voting in the same party’s runoff.  Voters who did not vote on June 12 can choose to vote in either party’s runoff.

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Q.  What candidates and/or offices are on the ballot today?
A.  The candidates and offices on a particular ballot will differ depending on the county and districts in which you reside and the primary in which you’re voting (Democratic or Republican).  To see the candidates that will appear on your ballot, visit scVOTES.org and click “Get My Sample Ballot” in the mySCVOTES section of the homepage.

Q.  Where do I vote?
A.  At the polling place in your precinct.  Your precinct and polling place are listed on your voter registration card.  However, it’s possible your polling place may have changed since the card was issued.  To be sure of the location of your polling place:

COLUMBIA, SC (May 23, 2018) – Absentee voting for the Statewide Primaries is underway at county elections offices throughout the state.  As of today, nearly 15,000 absentee ballots have been issued statewide.  Voters who are age 65 and older, who will be on vacation, or who can’t go to the polls due to their job are all qualified to vote absentee.   If you meet one of these or any of the other qualifying reasons, you can vote early by absentee ballot.  The State Election Commission wants you to know how to vote absentee and the deadlines for doing so.

Two Ways to Vote Absentee:

In Person – Visit your county elections office, complete an application, and cast your ballot.  You may vote absentee in person up until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 11.

By Mail – Voters should consider U.S. Postal Service transit times in choosing to vote absentee by mail.  First class mail may take 2-5 days to arrive at its destination.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 9, 2018) – To help ensure voters are prepared for the June 12 Statewide Primaries and June 26 Primary Runoffs, the State Election Commission wants to remind South Carolinians of the fast-approaching voter registration deadline.

TO VOTE IN THE 2018 STATEWIDE PRIMARIES AND RUNOFFS, YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY SUNDAY, MAY 13.

Anyone not currently registered to vote in their county of residence must register by the deadline, including those in the following categories:

• Anyone not registered who will be 18-years-old on or before November 6, 2018
• Any voter who has moved to a new county and has not registered there
• Anyone who has moved from another state and has not yet registered in South Carolina

If you are not sure whether you are registered to vote or whether your registration is current, visit scvotes.org and click “Check My Registration.”

Voters have various options to register before the deadline:

Governor Henry McMaster Declares May 2018 as Voter Education Month in South Carolina
SEC Urges Voters to be Ready to Vote in the June Primaries

COLUMBIA, SC (April 30, 2018) - State and local voter registration and elections officials are using the month of May to encourage voters to prepare for the Statewide Primaries on June 12 and the Primary Runoffs on June 26.

"During the month of May, election officials across the State of South Carolina are focused on encouraging voters to register to vote or update their addresses, educating voters on what they need to bring with them to the polls, and helping voters learn more about what offices and candidates will be on their ballot before they get to the voting booth," said Marci Andino, Executive Director of the S.C. State Election Commission.  "There are more than 3.2 million registered voters in South Carolina, however, there are an additional estimated 500,000 citizens who are eligible but not registered.”

National Voter Registration Day 2017

Register Online at scVOTES.org

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 25, 2017) - The South Carolina State Election Commission, along with Americans across the nation, will be celebrating National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) on Tuesday, September 26, 2017.  This is a nationwide effort to register voters before upcoming elections in November.  Celebrate democracy in America by encouraging individuals to exercise one of our most basic rights:  the right to vote!

The State Election Commission encourages all South Carolinians to exercise that right in all elections, including the more than 150 elections being held throughout the state on November 7.  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.

COLUMBIA, SC (July 6, 2017) - The S.C. State Election Commission (SEC), in considering the request for voter data made by the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity (PACEI), has carefully reviewed applicable state law and has consulted with the S.C. Attorney General’s office.  The SEC has determined that release of voter data to anyone who is not a registered South Carolina voter is not permitted by state law.  The agency may only provide voter data to registered South Carolina voters.  This rule is not specific to the PACEI request and applies to any request for voter data from any individual or organization from outside the state.

Some data requested by the PACEI is not collected by the SEC, and other data is never released:

• At no time does the SEC release Social Security Numbers, in whole or in part, to anyone, whether a voter or not.
• The SEC has no data on a voter’s party affiliation, as South Carolina does not have registration by party.
• At no time does the SEC have any information about how people vote, only information about which elections a voter has participated in.

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Q. I need to vote absentee.  Can I still do that?  What is the deadline to return my absentee ballot?  Should I return my absentee ballot by mail?

Absentee Voting Up more than 20% over 2012

COLUMBIA, SC (October 26, 2016) - The S.C. State Election Commission wants to make sure voters who need to vote absentee by mail return their applications as soon as possible to ensure they are able to return their ballots prior to the election day deadline. 

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the transit time for first class mail is a minimum of two days and can be as many as five days.  Voters should be aware of these transit times when voting absentee by mail.

What this means for voters: