At a Glance: South Carolina

South Carolina Voting Rules

Voter Registration Form:
Forms can be found here.

Deadline to Register:
October 5, 2008 (30 days prior to Election Day).

Voter Eligibility:
Must be a United States citizen, be at least eighteen years old on or before the next election, be a resident of South Carolina, this county and precinct, not be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent, not be confined in any public prison resulting from a conviction of a crime, have never been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws or if previously convicted, have served the entire sentence, including probation or parole, or have received a pardon for the conviction.

Identification Requirements:
For identification to vote, you may present your voter registration certificate, a valid South Carolina driver's license, or a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles issued photo I.D. card. If your registration card is ever lost or stolen, you may obtain a duplicate, even on Election Day, from your county voter registration office.

Where to Turn in Your Registration:
Voter registration forms should be returned to the individual’s local County Election Officials.

How to Register Others:
You are permitted to provide voter registration forms to people but campaign workers may not return absentee ballots except for an immediate family member.

Absentee Voting:
Absentee voting is available. Excuses are required. Excuses: Students, their spouses and dependents residing with them, members of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marines, Red Cross, USO, government employees, their spouses and dependents residing with them, for reasons of employment will not be able to vote on election day, physically disabled persons, persons on vacations, persons age 65 or older, persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on day of election or at least four days prior to the election, electors with a death or funeral in the family within 3 days before the election, persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial, persons attending sick or physically disabled persons, certified poll watchers and poll managers.
Begin the Application Process
Dates: Voters can begin applying as early as January 1 to vote absentee for any election held during that same year. Must be received by October 31 at the Voter Registration office.

Early Vote:
No early voting is available.

For More Information
Visit their website

Info about veterans, voting in other states, etc.

Please see this website for more information on U.S. Military Voter Services and voting overseas.

Click here to return to our Voter Registration Action Center home page.

Read our voter registration event guide here.

Visit South Carolina's state home page.