What to know about early voting for South Carolina’s presidential primaries
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- South Carolinians will soon have their chance to weigh in on who each party’s nominee should be in the 2024 race for the White House.
South Carolina’s primary is the ‘First-in-the-Nation’ for Democrats and follows the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary for Republicans.
Here is a guide to the 2024 presidential primaries in the Palmetto State:
When are the primaries?
South Carolina’s Democratic Presidential Primary will be held on Feb. 3, 2024, and the Republican Presidential Primary will take place on Feb. 24, 2024.
Which presidential primary can you participate in?
South Carolina does not require voters to register by political party and holds open primaries. This means that voters may choose to participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary, but not both.
When does early voting begin?
Governor Henry McMaster signed a law in May 2022 that replaces in-person absentee voting with an early in-person voting period for the two weeks leading up to election days.
Any registered voter, including those who will be 18 by the Nov. 5 general election, can cast a ballot during the early voting period without an excuse.
Early voting for the Democratic presidential primary begins on Jan. 22 and ends on Feb. 2.
Early voting for the Republican presidential primary begins on Feb. 12 and ends on Feb. 22.
Where does early voting take place?
Counties are required to have at least one polling place open for early voting. Some smaller counties will have multiple locations, while some larger counties have one site at the county election office.
Most locations are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays during the early voting periods but check with your local county election office for specific times. Early voting centers are not open on Sundays and will also be closed on Monday, Feb. 19 in observance of Presidents’ Day.
Here are the early voting locations* in the Lowcountry, by county:
Berkeley County
- County Voter Registration and Elections Office– 1003 US Highway 52 (Moncks Corner)
- Hanahan Library– 1216 Old Murray Court (Hanahan)
- St. Stephen Library – 113 Ravenell Drive (Saint Stephen)
Charleston County
- Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections Headquarters– 4340 Corporate Road (North Charleston)
- Essex Village Church of Christ – 736 Savage Road (West Ashley)
- Wando Library – 1400 Carolina Park Boulevard (Mount Pleasant)
Colleton County
- Colleton County Voter Registration and Elections Office– 2471 Jefferies Highway (Walterboro)
Dorchester County
- St. George Civic Center– 303 Ridge Street (Saint George)
- Miles Road Baptist Church Building B– 816 Miles Jamison Road (Summerville)
Georgetown County
- Georgetown County Voter Registration and Elections Office– 303 N. Hazard Street (Georgetown)
- Andrews Recreation Center – 220 S. Cedar Avenue (Andrews)
- Choppee Recreational Center – 8259 Choppee Road (Georgetown)
- Waccamaw Recreational Center – 83 Duncan Avenue (Pawleys Island)
Orangeburg County
- Orangeburg County Voter Registration & Election Office– 1475 Amelia Street (Orangeburg)
- Orangeburg County Council Chambers – 1435 Amelia Street (Orangeburg)
Williamsburg County
- Alex Chatman Auditorium – 147 W. Main Street (Kingstree)
- JJ Mitcheom Community Center – 2233 Hemingway Highway (Hemingway)
How to vote absentee
Eligible voters can request an absentee ballot from their county election office starting Jan. 1, 2024. All absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on primary day.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Jan. 23 for the Democratic presidential primary and Feb. 13 for the Republican presidential primary.
Editor’s Note: The list of early voting centers may be updated as additional information becomes available.
