Register or check your record
Most county offices close at 5 p.m. October 2 for in-person registration. Online, fax, and email applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. October 4. Mail applications must be postmarked by October 5.
Official voter resources
Make your South Carolina voting plan
Register in person by October 2, online or by fax or email by October 4, or by mail with an October 5 postmark. Early voting runs October 19 through October 31, except Sunday, October 25. Election Day is November 3.
First steps
Start with these three actions
Vote early in person
Early voting runs October 19 through October 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting centers are closed Sunday, October 25. Bring an accepted photo ID.
Apply for and return an absentee ballot
Qualified absentee voters must return the application by 5 p.m. October 23. The county board must receive the voted ballot by 7 p.m. November 3. Photo ID is required for an in-person ballot return.
October 5last registration date by mail
October 19early voting begins
October 23absentee application deadline
November 3General Election Day
Election timeline
In-person registration deadline
Most county voter registration offices close at 5 p.m. County offices with weekend hours may differ.
Online, fax, and email registration deadline
The application must be received by this time.
Mail registration postmark deadline
A mail registration application must be postmarked by this date.
Early voting begins
Early voting centers are open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Absentee application deadline
A qualified absentee voter's application must reach the county voter registration office by this deadline.
Early voting ends
This is the final scheduled time to vote early in person. Centers are closed Sunday, October 25.
General Election Day
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. may vote. County boards must receive absentee ballots by 7 p.m., with the calendar's separate extension for eligible military and overseas ballots.
Check the current rule: In-person voters must show a current and valid accepted photo ID: a South Carolina driver's license, South Carolina DMV ID card including a concealed weapons permit, South Carolina voter registration card with photo, federal military photo ID, or U.S. passport. A voter who cannot obtain photo ID may use the reasonable-impediment provisional-ballot process. A voter who simply forgets the ID may cast a provisional ballot but must show the ID to the county office before certification.
0 statewide ballot questions
The official referendum tracker for election 22596 returned no Statewide Constitutional Amendments and no Advisory Questions when checked October 1, 2026. Local questions vary by ballot and are outside this statewide guide.
View official ballot-measure information0 statewide judicial ballot questions
South Carolina Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Circuit Court judges are elected by the General Assembly, not by a statewide popular vote. The official statewide candidate tracker contains no judicial contest. Local probate judges and other substate judicial offices are outside this statewide guide.
Open the Judicial Branch explanationUse the official 2026 election preparation page
The Election Commission's 2026 page links registration, early voting, absentee voting, sample-ballot, polling-place, and county-office tools. Local ballot styles vary.
Open South Carolina's official 2026 voter pageOfficial voter links
2026 election calendarOfficial registration, early voting, absentee application, ballot receipt, and Election Day dates.Prepare for the 2026 general electionOfficial statewide deadlines and voter tools.Early votingOfficial dates, hours, Sunday closure, locations, and identification reminder.Absentee votingOfficial qualifying reasons, application process, deadline, return rules, and accepted ID for in-person return.How to vote and photo IDOfficial acceptable-photo-ID list, polling hours, sample-ballot tool, and voting-system guidance.County election officesOfficial county contact and location directory.
Dates checked October 1, 2026. Confirm them at the linked official source.