Staff reports | South Carolina will award the first delegates in the national Democratic presidential primary following Saturday’s first-in-the-nation party primary.
In past years, New Hampshire came first. But last year, President Joe Biden, recognizing the importance of the Palmetto State to his 2020 campaign, urged the Democratic National Committee to have its first primary in South Carolina.
Polls open across the state on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at voters’ regular polling location. Anyone in line before 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote, according to the S.C. State Election Commission. Absentee ballots must be received by the county voter registration office no later than 7 p.m. Feb. 3 to be counted.
- To find your polling place or check a sample ballot, visit scvotes.gov, or contact your county elections office.
South Carolina is an “open” primary state, which means anyone registered to vote in the state can participate in the Republican or Democratic contest — but not both.
Voters will need to present a current and valid photo ID when checking in to vote. Acceptable IDs include an S.C. driver’s license, an S.C. voter registration card, a federal military ID or U.S. Passport.
Early voting in the S.C. Democratic primary began Jan. 22. The deadline to complete early voting is 6 p.m. Feb. 2. Visit scvotes.gov or contact your county elections office for a list of early voting locations.
South Carolina will award 55 pledged delegates to its national party convention, a small fraction of the 2,000 needed to secure the Democratic nomination, but Biden largely credited his 2020 win in the S.C. primary with his campaign’s success afterward.
On the ballot with Biden are Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianna Williamson. Phillips earned about 20% of the vote in the unofficial New Hampshire primary, while Williamson, who previously sought nomination in 2020, received about 4%.
Election officials say they likely will get a decent turnout for the state’s Democratic primary, but expect a much bigger turnout for the Republican “first in the South” primary on Feb. 24. Early voting for the Republican presidential primary begins Feb. 12 with the same voting times.
Also in recent headlines:
Senate passes permitless carrying of guns. Following two weeks of debate, a bill that would allow eligible adults in South Carolina to carry loaded guns without any training or a permit is closer than ever to becoming reality after it passed the state Senate Thursday. The bill now moves onto the House, which passed a version of the measure last year. Under current law, people who want to carry handguns in the open in South Carolina have to complete training and obtain a concealed weapons permit. This bill, however, would do away with those training and permitting requirements, but offer free gun training as a means to encourage people to still take the currently-required class.
State Senate readies for floor debate on whopping DHEC restructuring bill. The bill, titled Executive Office of Health Policy, was unanimously approved by a Senate committee on Wednesday and is now headed to the Senate floor. If the bill becomes law, it would see the state departments of Mental Health, Disability and Special Needs, Health and Human Services, Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, and the Office on Aging consolidate with DHEC’s Division of Public Health. It would also create a separate Department of Environmental Control.
S.C. House approves bill restricting minors’ access to social media. A bill advancing at the South Carolina State House would ban kids and teens from social media sites unless their parents say it’s OK, an attempt at large to keep minors safe from the dangers of the internet.
SC-1: Templeton announcing run for Congress, setting up clash with Mace. Republican Catherine Templeton is expected to announce her plans to run for Congress against U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, setting up a crowded GOP primary clash for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Michael B. Moore announced this week that he raised $460,318 in 2023 in hopes to defeat Mace.
S.C. HOUSE: Spann-Wilder wins Democratic primary for open Chas. Co. seat. Tiffany Spann-Wilder, a defense attorney and former magistrate, won the Democratic primary for the S.C. House of Representatives District 109 special election by a comfortable margin Jan. 30.
Murdaugh retrial denied. Former S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal ruled Monday against convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh’s attempt to get a new trial on allegations that a clerk of court tampered with the jury. Each of the 12 jurors testified to Toal, retired but specially appointed to the case, that comments they heard didn’t directly influence their decision to find Murdaugh guilty, according to news reports. The Colleton County clerk, Becky Hill, denied speaking about the case or Murdaugh with jurors.
Thousands of newcomers pour into S.C. every year. Tens of thousands of people move into the Palmetto State every year, with California and New York being the top two states that people left.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!