South Carolina Voting Requirements & Information
U.S. Vote Foundation’s South Carolina Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of South Carolina voting rules and options. It focuses on South Carolina-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about South Carolina voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-South Carolina voting tools. It's an all-in-one South Carolina voting resource.
General Information
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
- at some public assistance offices and motor vehicle offices
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 7pm on Election Day.
Find my polling place
Early Voting
Any registered voter can vote early without an excuse beginning 15 days prior to election day. You may vote early in person from 8:30am until 6pm Mon-Sat (closed Sun).
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 can no longer vote early in-person with an absentee ballot as of May 2022. You must return your absentee ballot by mail. Make sure you use the new absentee ballot application form if you apply for an absentee ballot after May 31, 2022. If you ask someone else to return your ballot for you, you must make this authorization in writing. A candidate or a candidate's paid staff may not return the ballot for you unless this person is an immediate family member.
Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to vote in South Carolina if you:
- 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
- Are a U.S. citizen
You are NOT eligible to vote in South Carolina if:
- You were disqualified from voting due to a court order
- You are in prison or jail for a conviction of any kind. (Does not include pre-trial detention.)
- You were convicted of an offense against state election laws and have not served the entire sentence, including probation or parole, or have not received a pardon
Restorative Requirements
- If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote
You are able to pre-register:
- Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in South Carolina if:
- You reside in another state but attend college in South Carolina
- South Carolina does not accept student ID; refer to South Carolina Identification Requirements section
- You reside in South Carolina but are attending college in another state
Identification Requirements
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 photo 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
Witness / Notarization Requirements
An absentee ballot must include ONLY ONE the following in order to be counted:
- One Witness Signature
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Domestic Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?
State Elections Website
Can I View my Sample Ballot?
Where is my Polling Place?
Where is my Ballot?
Can I Register to Vote Online?
Am I Registered?
Overseas / Military Voter Information
State Voter Registration FAQ
Has my Ballot Been Counted?
Where are my Early Voting Locations?
Where is my Overseas or Military Ballot?
Eligibility Requirements
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.
Identification Requirements
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:
- Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
Your state does not require an ID to be provided in order to register your ballot.
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:
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Your state does not require an ID to be provided in order to register your ballot.
Voter Materials Transmission Options
Overseas Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
Military Voter |
In-Person |
|
Fax |
|
Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voter Registration | |||||
| Absentee Ballot Request | |||||
| Blank Ballot To Voter | |||||
| Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |