COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina is one of the first states in the nation to hold a presidential primary in 2024. The Palmetto State was the first official primary in the nation for the Democrats (that primary was held on Feb. 3) and follows Iowa and New Hampshire on the GOP side. This Saturday is the Republican primary in South Carolina, with early voting until Thursday, Feb. 22.
Here's what to expect:
Democratic presidential primary
When: Saturday, February 3.
Results: President Joe Biden won with 96% of the vote
Republican presidential primary
When: Saturday, February 24. Polling stations will be open 7 am-7 pm. If you are in line at 7 pm, you will be allowed to vote.
Early voting: began Monday, February 12, and runs through Thursday, February 22 (closed February 18, 19). Vote at local county voter registration offices 8:30 am to 6 pm.
Who is on the ballot (although some campaigns have been suspended, names may still appear on the ballot):
- Ryan L Binkley, pastor and businessman
- Chris Christie (campaign suspended)
- Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida (campaign suspended)
- Nikki Haley, former SC governor and US Ambassador to the United Nations
- Vivek Ramaswamy (campaign suspended)
- David Stuckenberg, veteran and entrepreneur
- Donald J Trump, former president
Also on the GOP early voting ballot are three advisory questions. These yes/no questions will help shape the Republican Party's statewide agenda. The questions are:
- Should South Carolina law be changed to give people the right to register to vote with the political party of their choice?
- Should South Carolina adopt reforms to increase the independence and accountability of our judiciary by improving transparency and reducing conflicts of interest in the process of reviewing judicial qualifications and electing judges?
- Should it be an immediate legislative priority to protect South Carolina's competitiveness and small businesses by changing state law so that a person's responsibility for financial damages in a lawsuit is based on that person's actual share of responsibility?
What do I need in order to vote?
You must be registered to vote in South Carolina. You can check your status and make any updates at scvotes.gov
The voter registration deadline for voting in the Democratic Presidential Primary was January 4; the deadline for voting in the Republican Presidential Primary is Thursday, January 25.
You will need a photo ID in order to vote. The photo ID can be one of the following:
- a valid driver's license
- ID card issued by the SC Department of Motor Vehicles
- Voter registration card with photo
- federal Military ID
- US Passport
Currently, there is no law in South Carolina requiring you to be registered as a member of the Democratic or Republican parties in order to vote in either primary election. However, you can only vote in one -- not both -- of the primaries.