State of South Carolina Voting Requirements & Information

Statewide Voter Information

 

U.S. Domestic Voters

Federal and State Elections

South Carolina General Election held on Tue Nov 6, 2018

Type

Deadlines

New Voter Registration
  • Online by Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:59pm EDT
  • Post received by Wed Oct 17, 2018
  • In-Person, Received by Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:00pm EDT
  • Email or Fax by Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:59pm EDT

Absentee Ballot Request

 Fri Nov 2, 2018 5:00pm EDT

Absentee Ballot Return
Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST

In-Person Absentee Voting

 Mon Oct 8, 2018 - Mon Nov 5, 2018 5:00pm EST

Early Voting

 none on record

Registration

You can register to vote or update your registration information:

  • online
  • by mail
  • in person at your elections office

Election Day Voting

Polling places are open from 7am to 7pm on Election Day.

Find my polling place

Early Voting

Early voting consists of completing and casting an absentee ballot at the voter registration office in your county of residence. You may vote absentee in person up until 5pm on the day before the election.

Absentee Voting

You must be a registered voter in South Carolina to vote absentee and meet one of the qualifications below:

  • You are student attending school outside your county of residence (includes spouses and dependents).
  • You are a members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine serving outside your county of residence (includes spouses and dependents).
  • You are serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces outside your county of residence (includes spouses and dependents).
  • For reasons of employment you will not be able to vote on Election Day.
  • You are physically disabled.
  • You are a government employee serving outside their county of residence on Election Day (includes spouses and dependents).
  • There is a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election.
  • You plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
  • You are a certified poll watcher, poll manager, or county election official working on Election Day
  • Overseas Citizens.
  • You are attending sick or physically disabled persons.
  • You have been admitted to the hospital as an emergency patient on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election.
  • You are serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day.
  • You are 65 years of age or older.
  • You are confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial.

You are eligible to vote in South Carolina if you:

  • Are a U.S citizen
  • Are a resident of South Carolina
  • Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
  • Live in the precinct in which you want to vote

You are NOT eligible to vote in South Carolina if:

  • You have been legally declared "mentally incompetent" by a court
  • You are in prison or detention or jail or penal institution
  • You are on parole for a felony conviction or convicted of a felony

Restorative Requirements

  • If you have been previously convicted of a felony crime, you may vote in South Carolina if your voting rights have been restored

Voter Registration

To register to vote in South Carolina you should provide:

  • Your South Carolina Driver's License or State ID Number (online applicants only)
  • Your Social Security Number

If you are registering to vote for the first time by mail, you will need to provide a copy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms of ID include:

  • Current and Valid Photo ID
  • Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
  • Current Utility Bill or Pay Check or Bank Statement

ID is not required if you are 65 or older, have a temporary or permanent physical disability, are a member of the active uniformed services or merchant marine who is absent from the county for active duty, or a spouse or dependent thereof, or are currently living outside the U.S. but otherwise eligible to vote

Voting In-Person

In South Carolina, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:

  • Valid South Carolina Driver's License
  • Valid South Carolina Voter ID Card with Photo
  • Valid ID Issued by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, Transportation, Highway Safety, etc.
  • Valid US Passport
  • Valid Military ID

Domestic Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

Absentee Ballot Request

 -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 - - -

Overseas & Military Voters

South Carolina General Election held on Tue Nov 6, 2018

Type

Deadlines
Overseas Military

Absentee Voter Registration
  • Postmarked by Wed Oct 17, 2018
  • Email, Online or Fax by Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:59am EDT
  • Postmarked by Wed Oct 17, 2018
  • Email, Online or Fax by Wed Oct 17, 2018 11:59am EDT

Ballot Request for Registered Voter

 Received by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST Received by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST

Ballot Return
  • Postmarked by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST
  • Email or Fax by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST
  • Post received by Thu Nov 8, 2018 5:00pm EST
  • Postmarked by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST
  • Email or Fax by Tue Nov 6, 2018 7:00pm EST
  • Post received by Thu Nov 8, 2018 5:00pm EST

Overseas Voters

U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:

  • Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.

Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.

Military Voters

Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.

  • If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.

To vote as a service member or eligible family member:

  • Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Complete Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Complete Social Security Number

Overseas Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

 -

Absentee Ballot Request

 -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 -
Overseas voters must fax the voted ballot directly to the appropriate County Voter Registration Board. Consult the Election Official Directory for contact details. Please note that private email over the Internet is not a secure method of transfer for documents containing your confidential identity information. OVF strongly recommends regular mail and fax over email transfer.

Military Voter

 In-Person Mail Fax Email Online

Voter Registration

 -

Absentee Ballot Request

 -

Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

 - -

Blank Ballot To Voter

 -
Fax the voted ballot directly to the appropriate County Voter Registration Board. Consult the Election Official Directory for contact details. Please note that private email over the Internet is not a secure method of transfer for documents containing your confidential identity information. OVF strongly recommends regular mail and fax over email transfer.

 

Register to Vote   Request Absentee Ballot