COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Democratic primary will be held on Saturday, February 29, 2020.
It is the fourth nominating vote in the Democratic Party presidential primaries for the 2020 presidential election and the first one in the South.
Here's what you need to know about the "First in the South" democratic primary.
WHO'S RUNNING IN THE S.C. DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY?
The following candidates are running in the S.C. Democratic Primary:
- Joe Biden (JoeBiden.com)
- Bernie Sanders (BernieSanders.com)
- Pete Buttigieg (PeteForAmerica.com)
- Tulsi Gabbard (Tulsi2020.com)
- Amy Klobuchar (AmyKlobuchar.com)
- Elizabeth Warren (ElizabethWarren.com)
- Tom Steyer (TomSteyer.com)
Andrew Yang (withdrawn), John Delaney (withdrawn), Deval Patrick (withdrawn), Michael Bennet (withdrawn) and Cory Booker (withdrawn) will still appear on the ballot, however, because absentee ballots were already sent out before they withdrew.
There can be candidates that are running nationally for the party’s nomination that are not participating in the South Carolina Presidential Primary, Mike Bloomberg is one example. The ballot features all candidates that filed in South Carolina and who did not withdraw before ballots were finalized.
WHO CAN VOTE IN THE S.C. DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY?
Can I vote in the S.C. Democratic Primary if I am a Republican or an Independent?
Yes, you can vote in the S.C. Democratic Primary if you are not a Democrat. Any registered voter in South Carolina can vote in the primary.
Why can Republicans and Independents vote in the S.C. Democratic Primary?
In South Carolina, voters do not register by party, and the state has an open primary system. That means any registered voter can vote in either party's primary, just not both.
Is there a Republican Primary in South Carolina?
In 2019, the South Carolina Republican Party's executive committee decided not to hold a Republican 2020 presidential primary. That means that the state's 50 delegates will likely go to President Donald Trump by default.
Is there still time to register to vote before the primary?
You need to be a registered voter to be able to vote in the primary. If you are not a registered voter in the state you can NOT vote. You have to register at least 30 days prior to an election to be able to vote. It is too late to register for the presidential primary but not for the November elections
VOTING IN THE S.C. DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
When is the S.C. Democratic Primary?
The.South Carolina Democratic Primary is on Saturday, February 29, 2020.
What time do the polls open and close?
The polls open across the state at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. As long as you are in line to vote at 7 p.m., you will still be able to vote, regardless of the 7 p.m. closing time.
What do I need to bring to the polls?
You do not have to have a REAL ID to vote.
When you arrive to vote, you will need to show one of the following photo ID's:
- South Carolina Driver's License
- ID Card Issued by South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
- South Carolina Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID
- U.S. Passport
If you don't have one of those IDs, you may be able to vote a provisional ballot after showing your non-photo voter registration card.
Where do I vote?
If you need to find out what precinct you vote in, go to the State Election Commission website here. On the homepage, look for "Check My Voter Registration" link. Click on it and follow the instructions.
To find out where your precinct is voting in the S.C. Democratic Primary, you can click HERE to get the information from the S.C. Election Commission by County.
You can also call your county voter registration office. You can find a list county voter registration offices HERE.
Bear in mind that during presidential primaries, polling locations are sometimes combined to save money and resources so multiple precincts could be at one polling place.
Is it too late to vote absentee?
The last day to request an absentee ballot was Tuesday, February 25 at 5 p.m., and the deadline to return a completed absentee ballot is 7 p.m. Saturday, February 29.
If you requested an absentee ballot but forgot to mail it back, you an still vote at your county Voter Registration & Elections Office. NOTE: You will not be allowed to vote at your precinct, even if you give them your absentee ballot.
What does the S.C. Democratic Primary ballot look like?
Want to study the ballot ahead of time? You can find your sample ballot here. Simply click "View Sample Ballot" at the bottom of your voter information data.
Who is on the ballot?
The following candidates are running in the S.C. Democratic Primary:
- Joe Biden (JoeBiden.com)
- Bernie Sanders (BernieSanders.com)
- Pete Buttigieg (PeteForAmerica.com)
- Tulsi Gabbard (Tulsi2020.com)
- Amy Klobuchar (AmyKlobuchar.com)
- Elizabeth Warren (ElizabethWarren.com)
- Tom Steyer (TomSteyer.com)
Andrew Yang (withdrawn), John Delaney (withdrawn), Deval Patrick (withdrawn), Michael Bennet (withdrawn) and Cory Booker (withdrawn) will still appear on the ballot, however, because absentee ballots were already sent out before they withdrew.
Why are some candidates, such as Michael Bloomberg, not on the ballot?
There can be candidates that are running nationally for the party’s nomination that are not participating in the South Carolina Presidential Primary. The ballot features all candidates that filed in South Carolina and who did not withdraw before ballots were finalized.
Can I write in a candidate?
No, write-in candidates are not allowed in a presidential primary.
Why does my ballot have a district number beside the office of President?
Political parties require reporting of Presidential Primary results by Congressional District. The parties use these results as part of a formula for assigning delegates. Putting the district number beside the office title of President helps election officials report results by Congressional District. For example, voters in Congressional District 1 will see the office title “President District 1” on their ballot.
RESULTS OF THE S.C. DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
How do I find results of the S.C. Democratic Primary?
Real-time election results will be posted on WLTX's election page. Go ahead and bookmark this link now.
In the meantime, watch live coverage and analysis on the WLTX Facebook page beginning at 7 p.m.
of the results
How many delegates does SC have?
South Carolina has 63 delegates.
How many delegates does the winner get?
54 of the state's 63 delegates are pledged to the winner.
The other 9 are un-pledged delegates.
Who are the un-pledged delegates? They are the seven members of the Democratic National Committee and two members of Congress, of which both are U.S. Representatives.