COLUMBIA, S.C. — Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Registered voters will go to the polls to determine who will be the next President of the United States and who will represent them locally in races that run the gamut from school board members to state representatives in the General Election.
Here is what you need to know if you’re planning to vote.
It is too late to register to vote in the 2024 General Election. South Carolina law requires residents must register at least 30 days prior to the election.
Check your voter registration information and make sure it is up to date before you head out. This can be done easily online at scvotes.gov. Just click on the link and enter your information and MyscVOTES will show your voting precinct location and which voting precincts you live in/vote in.
If you have moved, make sure the correct address is on your voter registration. Your home address determines where you vote and which school district/town/city/county contest you vote in.
There are four ways to update your address:
- Online with your updated South Carolina Driver’s License or DMV ID Card (update your information with the DMV before submitting a voter registration form)
- Download a change of address form, print it, fill it out, and do one of the following:
- Mail the form to your county board of voter registration or
- Fax the form to your county board of voter registration or
- Scan the form and email the image as a file attachment to your county voter registration office
- Fill out the back of your voter registration card and mail it to your county voter registration office
- Visit your county voter registration office and fill out a change of address form
If you have moved but failed to update your address before election day, failsafe voting allows you update your address on election day and vote – in the following circumstances:
- You moved from one address to another within the same precinct – you may vote a full ballot at the precinct after completing a change of address form
- You moved from one precinct to another within the same county – you have two options:
- Go to your previous polling place and vote a limited failsafe ballot containing only federal, statewide and countywide offices. Your updated information will be included on the failsafe ballot envelope
- Go to the county voter registration office and complete the change of address form and vote a full ballot
- You moved from one South Carolina county to another within 30 days of the election – again, you have two options:
- Go to your polling place in your previous county of residence and vote a limited failsafe ballot containing only federal, statewide and countywide offices. Your updated information will be included on the failsafe ballot envelope
- Go to the voter registration office in the current county where you live and complete the change of address form and vote a full ballot
- You moved from one state to another after the deadline to register to vote in a Presidential election on the new state of residence – you can vote only in the Presidential election via absentee ballot obtained from the state and county of residence from which you moved
Get a sample ballot
Familiarize yourself with your ballot before you vote. Your sample ballot may not be identical to a friend or family member living in another part of the state/county/city or neighborhood because, again, your home address determines your ballot. For example: you may live in a part of a school district where all seats are up for election or in an area where no seats are up for election. You may live in a county with a question regarding new taxes (Richland) while there may be no question on the ballot in a neighboring county.
South Carolina Early Voting locations
Early voting for the 2024 General Election begins Monday, October 21 and ends Saturday, November 2 (closed Sunday, October 27). Early voting centers are open 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Below are the locations in the Midlands. Click here for a full list of all South Carolina early voting locations.
Calhoun County:
Calhoun County Community Development Center
Address:
101 Courthouse Dr, Suite 115 St. Matthews, SC 29135
John Williams SR Fellowship Hall
Address:
983 Old State Rd, Gaston SC 29053
St. John Community Center
Address:
301St. John Rd, Cameron SC 29030
Clarendon County:
Clarendon County Board of Voter Registration & Elections
Address:
3 S Church St. Manning, SC 29102
For all South Carolina early voting locations you can follow this link.
Fairfield County:
Fairfield County Voter Registrations and Elections Office
Address:
315 S Congress St Winnsboro, SC 29180
Kershaw County:
Camden City Arena
Address:
420 Broad St. Camden, SC 29020
Lee County:
Lee County Board of Voter Registration & Elections
Address:
101 Gregg St. Bishopville, SC 29010
Lynchburg Old Police Station
Address:
106 Main St. Lynchburg, SC 29080
Lexington County
Lexington County Voter Registration Office, Room 112-113
Address:
605 W Main St. Lexington, SC 29072
Voorhees University Education Center
Address:
423 College St. Leesville, SC 29070
Midlands Tech – Irmo
Address:
7300 College St. Irmo, SC 29063
West Columbia Community Center
Address:
754 B Ave. West Columbia, SC 29169
Gaston Town Hall
Address:
131 N Carlisle St. Gaston, SC 29053
Chapin Town Hall
Address:
157 Columbia Ave. Chapin, SC 29036
Newberry County:
Newberry County Early Voting Center
Address:
1872 Wilson Rd Newberry, SC 29108
Orangeburg County:
Old County Library
Address:
510 Louis St, Orangeburg, SC 29115
North Challenge Center
Address:
4589 Savannah Hwy, North, SC 29112
Vance Senior Center
Address:
10304 Old Number Six Hwy, Vance, SC 29163
Richland County:
Richland County Voter Registration & Election Office 2020
Address:
2020 Hampton St Columbia, SC 29204
Richland County Early Voting Location 2011
Address:
2011 Hampton St Columbia, SC 29204
University of South Carolina Blatt PE Center
Address:
1300 Wheat St, Columbia, SC 29201
The Brook Church
Address:
8328 Parklane Rd, Columbia, SC 29223
Brookland Baptist Church Northeast
Address:
1203 Summit Pkwy Columbia, SC 29229
Ballentine Park
Address:
1009 Bickley Rd, Irmo SC 29063
Garners Ferry Adult Activity Center
Address:
8620 Garners Ferry Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061
Saluda County:
Saluda County Board of Voter Registration & Elections
Address:
4390 Batesburg Hwy Saluda, SC 29138
Sumter County:
Sumter County Voter Registration Office
Address:
129 E. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150
Catchall-Shaw Community Center
Address:
2680 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell, SC 29040
Eastern Community Center
Address:
3675 East Brewington Road, Sumter, SC 29153
F.J. Delaine Elementary School
Address:
5355 Cane Savannah Rd Wedgefield, SC 29168
Absentee voting
The deadline to request and absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Friday, October 25. Allow time for the process to go through the US Postal Service – first sending in your request, then the time it takes you to fill it out and send it back.
As of 2022, South Carolina state law no longer allows absentee requests to be made online or by email. If you want or need to vote absentee, you must call, visit or send your request by US Mail to your county voter registration office. In your absentee application request, you must supply your name, date of birth and last four digits of your Social Security number before an application can be mailed to you.
When you receive your ballot, fill it out and make sure to sign the voter’s oath and have your signature witnessed by someone at least age 18 years or older (no notary necessary).
Completed absentee ballots must be received at your county voter registration office before 7 p.m. on Election Day. Make sure you have allowed time for your completed ballot to be delivered by the US Postal Service. Ideally, completed absentee ballots should be delivered no later than one week before Election Day.
You can opt to return your absentee ballot in person to your local voter registration office. Make sure when you do that you have a valid photo ID (driver’s license, DMV-issued photo ID, passport, military photo ID or a SC voter registration card containing a photo of the voter) with you when you return your ballot in person.
Immediate family members or authorized representatives can request an absentee ballot or return a completed absentee ballot for another person. Authorized representatives must sign an oath that they meet the requirements of being an authorized representative by completing the online form
What if I want to vote but I find myself in the hospital on Election Day?
According to SCVotes.gov, a voter admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within four days of the election can have an immediate family member apply for and deliver a ballot to you.
On Election Day
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5.
Bring a current and valid photo ID. You will be asked to show one of the following:
- SC Driver’s License (standard license or REAL ID)
- SC DMV-issued ID Card (standard or REAL ID or SC Concealed Weapons Permit)
- SC Voter Registration card with a photo
- Federal Military ID (all Department of Defense photo IDs and Veterans Affairs benefit card)
- US Passport
If you forget to bring your photo ID, you may vote a provisional ballot that will count only if you show your photo ID to your county board of voter registration and elections office before the election is certified – in this case, before November 8.
If you intend to vote and are in a line to vote at 7 p.m., that precinct will stay open until the last voter has completed and cast their ballot.
You have the option to vote “straight party,” meaning you click or mark the first choice on the ballot to cast your vote for single party (Republican, Democratic, etc.) rather than selecting individual candidates in the contested races on your ballot. “Straight party” is a one-and-done choice as every candidate of that party is chosen throughout the ballot. You can opt to change your vote for any particular office by selecting the candidate of choice for that office and the previously selected candidate will automatically be deselected.
Straight party does not include non-partisan contests or questions. Those votes must be made individually.
Write-in votes may be written in by touching the “write-in” space under the appropriate office.
Who is running for President in South Carolina?
While your home address will determine what races you are able to vote in or what questions you may answer on the ballot, everyone can vote for President of the United States.
In a sample ballot, voters can view the following candidates for president:
- Randall A Terry/Stephen E Broden, Constitution Party
- Cornel West/Melina Abdulla, United Citizens
- Jill Stein/Randolph Butch Ware, Green
- Donald J Trump/JD Vance, Republican
- Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat, Libertarian
- Kamala D Harris/Tim Walz, Democratic
- Claudia De La Cruz/Karina Garcia, Workers
