The South Carolina voter registration deadline is October 4, 2026. Voters can register to vote online, in-person, or by mailing a completed application.
Eligibility
In order to register to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of South Carolina in the county and precinct in which you are registering, at least 18 years old by Election Day, not be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent, not be confined in any public prison resulting from a conviction of a crime, and never have been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws.
- College students have a choice of whether they want to vote in South Carolina or vote in their home state, but may only be registered and vote at one location. If registering on-campus, students must register at their physical dormitory address, not their mailing address. Find more information on voting in South Carolina as a college student here.
- Find more information about the eligibility requirements for voting in South Carolina here.
Deadline
The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is 30 days before the election. Voters must register to vote in-person by October 2, 2026 by 5:00PM, online by October 4, 2026 at 11:59PM, or submitted by mail and postmarked by October 5, 2026.
Voter Registration Process
There are three methods of voter registration in South Carolina: online, by emailing, faxing, or mailing in a completed downloadable application to one’s county board of voter registration, or in-person.
- South Carolina residents can register to vote in person at their county board of voter registration or at South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Further voter registration information for South Carolina can be found here.
This page was last updated on October 3, 2026.
Questions? Contact us here.
South Carolina offers in-person, absentee, and early voting in the 2026 General Election.
Vote-By-Mail Practices
In South Carolina, you must have a reason to be eligible to vote by mail. Eligible reasons to apply for an absentee ballot can be found here. State law no longer allows for electronic requests or returns of absentee ballots, so you may call, visit or send your request by mail to your county voter registration office.
- The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 11 days prior to Election Day by 5:00 p.m. (Friday, October 23, 2026)
- Your completed absentee ballot must be received by the county voter registration office on Election Day by 7:00PM.
- Further absentee/by-mail voting information for South Carolina is listed here.
Early Voting
South Carolina offers early voting
- Early voting is from Monday, October 19, 2026 – Saturday, October 31, 2026.
- Voting centers are open 8:30AM- 6:00PM (Monday-Saturday)
- Closed Sunday, October 25, 2026.
More information on early voting in South Carolina can be found here.
Election Day Practices
On Election Day, the polls are open 7:00AM-7:00PM.
This page was last updated on October 3, 2026.
Questions? Contact us here.
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