In-person absentee voting for the S.C. Democratic presidential primary began on Jan. 30 in Charleston County. The last day to vote absentee is Fri. Feb. 28. Absentee ballots can be requested through scvotes.org or at the county Board of Election and Voter Registration office (4367 Headquarters Road, North Charleston).
There are over a dozen circumstances that qualify individuals for absentee voting, including active military service, physical disabilities, and attending school outside of your voting district. South Carolina does not have political party registration; all registered voters are eligible to vote in the Democratic primary. In-person absentee voting is conducted similarly to election day voting with voting machines at the county offices.
The South Carolina Republican Party’s executive committee voted against holding a Republican primary in September. The move prompted former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis and a Charleston County voter, Frank Heindel, to file a lawsuit against the state GOP. State Circuit Judge Jocelyn Newman threw out the suit in December.
South Carolina’s primary election is the first in the Southeast and, as CofC professors Gibbs Knotts and Jordan Ragusa write in their book First in the South, it’s often an accurate prediction of who will get the nomination. Knotts and Ragusa also contribute to the City Paper‘s election coverage.
The 11 remaining Democratic candidates will appear at the Gaillard Center on Feb. 25 for the 10th Democratic primary debate. The S.C. Democratic primary election will take place on Feb. 29.
The 2020 general election will be held on Tues. Nov. 3. Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.