COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nov. 5 will be the final chance for South Carolinians to cast their ballots for the U.S. presidential race and several other state and federal offices. But before you head to the polls, here is what you need to know to vote on Nov. 5.
First, it's too late to register to vote in the 2024 General Election. South Carolina law requires residents to register at least 30 days before the election.
How do I check voter registration and where do I vote?
Check your voter registration information and ensure it is current before you head out. You can do this online at SCVotes.gov. Just click on the link and enter your information. MySCVOTES will show the location of your voting precinct and which precincts you live in/vote in.
What if I moved?
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 Department of Motor Vehicle identification 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
What is failsafe voting and when does it apply?
If you have moved but failed to update your address before election day, failsafe voting allows you to 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 for 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, 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 your current county, complete the change of address form, and vote a full ballot.
- If you moved from one state to another after the deadline to register to vote in a Presidential election in your new state of residence, you can vote only in the Presidential election via absentee ballot obtained from the state and county from which you moved.
How do I 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 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.
When do the polls open and close in South Carolina?
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
What should I bring to the polls to vote?
Bring a current and valid photo I.D. You will be asked to show one of the following:
- S.C. Driver’s License (standard license or REAL ID)
- S.C. DMV-issued ID Card (standard or REAL ID or S.C. Concealed Weapons Permit)
- S.C. Voter Registration card with a photo
- Federal Military ID (all Department of Defense photo I.D.s and Veterans Affairs benefit cards)
- U.S. Passport
I forgot my ID
If you forget to bring your photo identification, you may vote a provisional ballot that will count only if you show it to your county board of voter registration and elections office before the election is certified—in this case, before Nov. 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.
What does 'Straight Party' mean?
You can vote “straight party,” meaning you click or mark the first choice on the ballot to cast your vote for a 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 de-selected.
Straight party does not include non-partisan contests or questions. Those votes must be made individually.
Can I write in a candidate?
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 can 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
