Press Releases

New Process Successful as Over One Hundred Thousand Voted Early

COLUMBIA, SC (June 13, 2022) – At the close of the early voting period on Friday, June 10, 2022, 100,450 South Carolinians had voted early in the June Primaries. Last month, Governor McMaster signed legislation establishing early voting in South Carolina, which allowed all voters to vote in the June Primaries as early as May 31.

“Governor McMaster and the General Assembly created a more convenient, easier and secure way for voters to cast their vote,” said Howard Knapp, Executive Director of the South Carolina Election Commission. “We are appreciative to our state leadership, the voters and to our local election offices who were able to establish early voting centers on a quick turnaround.”

COLUMBIA, SC (June 10, 2022) – With the early voting period ending today, the S.C. Election Commission wants to share important reminders about voting on Election Day. 

Through Thursday, June 9, nearly 80,000 South Carolinians had voted early in the June Primaries since the early voting period opened on Tuesday, May 31.  Nearly 16,000 voted on June 9, which was the busiest day of the period so far.  

Complete statistics, including Friday’s numbers, will be available at scVOTES.gov on Monday.

Voting on Tuesday, June 14:

COLUMBIA, SC (May 18, 2022) – On May 13, 2022, Governor McMaster signed into law legislation passed by the General Assembly that establishes early voting and makes significant changes to the absentee voting process.  The State Election Commission wants voters to be aware of how these changes affect absentee voting in the June Primaries.

The following is a list of some of the more significant changes to the process.  For complete details and to see the new absentee process step-by-step, visit the Absentee Voting page at scVOTES.gov.

COLUMBIA, SC (May 13, 2022) – Governor McMaster today signed into law legislation passed by the General Assembly that establishes early voting in South Carolina.

To help prepare for the upcoming June 14 Primaries, the State Election Commission wants voters to know all their options to vote:

Polling Place on Election Day

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 11, 2022) – To help ensure voters are prepared for the 2022 Statewide Primaries on June 14, the State Election Commission wants to remind everyone of the fast-approaching voter registration deadlines and urge those already registered to update their information.  With only a few days left before the deadline, now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote. 

DON’T WAIT! REGISTERING TO VOTE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 15, 2022) – The South Carolina State Election Commission (SEC) today released a comprehensive booklet that outlines every step taken to ensure secure, accurate and accessible elections. This resource is the first of its kind to be created to help both decision makers and the general public better understand how the state’s election system works.

“We’re excited to launch this new public guide to the laws and procedures that govern our elections,” said SEC Executive Director, Howard Knapp. “Voters deserve to know how our elections work , how they are kept secure, and why they should trust the integrity of election results.”

The booklet covers a variety of topics including cybersecurity, voter registration list maintenance, voting system security, voter verification, poll manager responsibilities, absentee voting, ballot reconciliation, election audits and election crimes.  The SEC plans to update the document as election laws and SEC policies and procedures evolve so that it remains a current resource into the future.

COLUMBIA, SC (March 9, 2022) – The 2022 partisan candidate filing period opens noon, March 16 and closes noon, March 30.  All partisan candidates seeking office in the 2022 General Election must file during this period. 

Candidate Tracking System: See who filed in real time, view documents, download data.

Locations:

• Federal, statewide, and multi-county offices - State Election Commission (SEC).
• State House of Representatives - SEC or County Board in County of Residence.
• Various County-Level Offices - County Board.

Hours: Regular business hours during the filing period.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (January 28, 2022) – The S.C. State Election Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to name Howard M. Knapp as Executive Director of the agency.  The selection of Knapp ends a three-month appointment process that began in October 2021.  The Executive Director serves as the state’s chief election official and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Prior to becoming Executive Director, Knapp served as the Interim Executive Director and Director of Voter Services. In his role as Director of Voter Services, Knapp was responsible for information technology, cyber security, support of the statewide voting system, the agency’s Area Representatives, and the agency’s election audit initiatives and processes.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (October 7, 2021) – Absentee voting is underway at county elections offices throughout the state for local elections held on November 2nd. The State Election Commission (SEC) would like to remind voters that that the special provisions for absentee voting in effect for the 2020 General Election have expired and a qualifying reason (listed below) is required to vote absentee in any election in South Carolina.

See a list of all upcoming municipal elections in 2021.

Qualified to vote absentee? Vote in person or by mail:

In Person

Step 1: Visit your county elections office up until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 1.  

Step 2: Complete an application.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 29, 2021) – To help ensure voters are prepared for Municipal Election Day (November 2nd), the State Election Commission wants to remind everyone of the upcoming voter registration deadlines and urge those already registered to update their information.

With over 200 local elections being held in South Carolina on Municipal Election Day, now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote.  See a list of all upcoming elections in 2021.

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY THE DEADLINE TO VOTE ON MUNICIPAL ELECTION DAY.

Anyone not currently registered to vote in their county of residence must register by the deadline, including those in the following categories:

COLUMBIA, SC (September 1, 2021) – The South Carolina State Election Commission, along with election officials across the country, are celebrating National Voter Registration Month this September. During the month, state and local election officials are encouraging South Carolinians to register to vote and update their address.  September 28th will be highlighted as National Voter Registration Day.

With over 200 local elections being held in South Carolina on Municipal Election Day (November 2nd), now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote.  See a list of all upcoming elections in 2021.

YOU MUST BE REGISTERED BY OCTOBER 3rd TO VOTE ON MUNICIPAL ELECTION DAY.

Registering to vote has never been easier:

COLUMBIA, SC (December 2, 2020) – A survey conducted following the 2020 General Election shows a large majority of voters are confident in the integrity of South Carolina's elections and were comfortable with the state's new paper-based voting system.

Click here for survey details.