2 weeks Ago
After a historic surge of South Carolinians casting their ballots early, hundreds of thousands more from across the state are set to come out today for the high-profile presidential election and pivotal down-ballot contests. The results have the power to shape the political landscape of the Palmetto State for at least the next two years. In addition to deciding local races, South Carolinians will pick who they want representing their interests in Congress and who will fill all 170 seats, House and Senate, in the state Legislature.
Already, more than 1.5 million voters cast ballots ahead of today's Nov. 5 Election Day.
When the two-week early voting period ended Nov. 2, 1,471,663 South Carolinians had come out. That's in addition to the 100,160 absentee ballots already returned.
Taken together, it means about 45 percent of the state's 3.45 million registered voters have already participated. Polls are open from 7 a.
m.-7 p.m.
statewide. There are no COVID-19 restrictions in place. Here's what you need to know about casting a ballot today.
Any registered South Carolina voter may cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 general election. To check your voter registration, visit the S.
C. Election Commission website at scvotes.gov .
At the top of the homepage, click the word "Voters." Then click "Check your voter registration." The presidential race between Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump is expected to be the main turnout driver.
But there are plenty of matchups down the ballot. All of the state's seven U.S.
House of Representative members are up this year, and so are all 170 members of the Statehouse — both in the House and Senate. Neither of the state's two U.S.
Senate seats are up this year. Election Day 2024 is Tuesday. Here are the South Carolina races to watch.
There are more elections going on locally depending on your district and your ballot, including high-stakes contests for county offices, sheriffs and nonpartisan school board races. Whoever gets the most votes, even in multi-candidate fields, is declared the winner. If less than 1 percentage point separates the victor from the loser, it triggers an automatic recount.
Candidates can file an election protest. While minor mistakes and protests aren't uncommon during elections, winning a protest remains a big hurdle. To be successful, a protesting candidate must call into question enough votes to show there could have been a different result.
Protest hearings are held by either the respective county board of elections and voter registration if the election is for a countywide office, or the State Board of Canvassers if the protest comes from candidates for federal, state or multi-county offices. The complaint must be made in writing. The protest hearing is limited to the issues outlined in the written protest.
All election hearings — provisional ballot hearings, certification of the election and protests — are open to the public. FAQ: How your vote gets counted in South Carolina: Safeguards, firewalls and a paper trail It depends how quickly election officials can tally up the results. Mail-in absentee ballots take time to open, process and tabulate.
South Carolina election officials are encouraging voters to be patient. Media outlets like the Associated Press, Fox News, CNN or MSNBC may declare projected race winners throughout the night when they are confident there is no longer a path to victory for a trailing candidate. Election results are not official until they are certified days later.
In South Carolina, county elections boards must certify the 2024 general election no later than 1 p.m. Nov.
8. The state board of canvassers meets at 3 p.m.
Nov. 14. The Post and Courier will be also covering races all day and night, and any relevant election certification hearings in the days that follow.
Check postandcourier.com for results and analysis. There are 538 votes nationally in the Electoral College, and it takes a majority — 270 — to win the American presidency.
South Carolina has nine presidential electoral votes up for grabs, and the state follows a winner-take-all system — meaning whichever candidate comes out ahead, no matter how slim the margin, gets all of the state's Electoral College votes. If South Carolina elects Trump in 2024, it will be the 12th presidential election in a row that the Palmetto State has voted for the Republican candidate in the race for the White House. The last Democrat who won a presidential race in South Carolina was Jimmy Carter of Georgia in 1976.
This year, the meeting of the Electoral College in South Carolina will be Dec. 17 in Columbia. Meet the Republican and Democratic electors voting in the Electoral College in South Carolina To double-check the races that will appear on your ballot, visit the state Election Commission website at scvotes.
gov. At the top of the homepage, click the word “Voters.” Then click “Get My Sample Ballot.
” Worried you won't remember everything? You can bring a printed sample ballot with you into the voting booth. Just don't show it to anyone else or try to intimidate a fellow voter to vote your way. Voter intimidation is against the law.
Your voting precinct and polling place are determined by your address and should be listed on your voter registration card. There are some changes this year, so election officials are encouraging voters to double-check their polling place. Take this for example: For the first-time, some Mount Pleasant voters will be casting ballots inside a nearby hotel or a fire station after previously voting at the National Guard Armory for decades.
To check your voting location, visit the S.C. Election Commission website at scvotes.
gov . At the top of the homepage, click the word "Voters." Then click "Check Your Voter Registration" or "Find My Polling Place.
" You can also contact your county voter registration office directly. To vote in the election, you will need one of the following forms of photo ID: If you do not have proper photo ID but are registered to vote, you can cast a provisional ballot that will be recorded once your eligibility is verified. SC election security: Panic buttons and quiet rooms.
Hidden features protecting poll workers for 2024 Wearing a T-shirt for a candidate whose name appears on the ballot? You may be asked to turn it inside out. Wearing clothing with a more generalized political message, like a "Let's Go Brandon" hat or a "Black Lives Matter" T-shirt? You're in the clear. MAGA-related hats or shirts are not allowed since it is a slogan tied to a specific candidate's campaign.
But you can wear old campaign merch, like a button from past presidential races, such as your dad's "Goldwater '64" pin. But remember: No one is allowed to intimidate voters or interfere with the election process. If this happens, alert a poll manager immediately.
No. The use of cameras is not allowed inside the polling place, and state law prohibits anyone from showing their ballot to another person. If you want to take a photo to document completing your civic duty, slap on the "I Voted" sticker and take a selfie once you've exited your polling place.
The State Law Enforcement Division has established a public hotline for receiving reports of possible election fraud or other violations of the state's election laws. SLED's Election Fraud Hotline can be reached at 833-472-8683. To report possible election fraud to SLED, please submit all documentation supporting your allegation to 4SCVote@sled.
sc.gov or by mail at Post Office Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.
C., by phone at 800-253-3931 or through the department's website at www.civilrights.
justice.gov . Immediately alert a poll worker if you witness voter fraud or voter intimidation.
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