How to vote in South Carolina

Registration deadlines, ID, mail and early voting in South Carolina, in plain English, with the official links. The South Carolina Election Commission is the final word on every rule.

Check your registration Register online Official election office
Register online Yes: Received online (or by fax or email) by 30 days before the election (for 2026: Sunday, October 4).
Register by mail Postmarked at least 30 days before the election; if that day is a Sunday or postal holiday, the next day that is neither.
Register in person At your county voter registration office by 30 days before the election; when that day falls on a weekend, offices close at 5 p.m. on the Friday before (for 2026: Friday, October 2).
Same-day registration No
Voter ID Show a photo ID (SC driver's license or DMV ID, SC voter registration card with photo, U.S. passport, or federal military ID); without one you can sign a reasonable-impediment affidavit and vote a provisional ballot.
Voting by mail Absentee ballot by mail with a qualifying reason (for example age 65 or older, a disability, work, or being away from your county); apply by 5 p.m. 11 days before, and the ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting No-excuse early voting at any early voting center in your county, Monday through Saturday for about two weeks before Election Day (2026 general: October 19-31, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday).

Checked against the South Carolina election office's website on November 8, 2026. Deadlines are for general elections; primaries, runoffs and local elections can differ. Military and overseas voters have their own rules at FVAP.gov.

Official sources

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