| SOUTH CAROLINA | 9 Electoral Votes |
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| Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, South Carolina State Election Commission)
Largest counties: Greenville, Richland, Charleston, Spartanburg, Horry, Lexington. Government
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State of South Carolina State Election Commission SC Democratic Party The State
(Columbia), p  The Palmetto
State
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Voter Registration Deadlines: Oct. 2, 2020 - in person Oct. 4, 2020 - online or by fax or email Oct. 5, 2020 - by mail (postmark) Election Calendar Absentee Voting: For the June primary and runoff all voters were able to vote absentee due to the state of emergency brought about by the pandemic (+). For the general election, the legislature passed H.5305, expanding absentee voting due to COVID-19, with wide bipartisan support; Gov. McMaster signed the bill into law on Sept. 16. Litigation over the witness requirement for mail-in/absentee ballots went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reinstated the requirement in an Oct. 5 ruling. A lawsuit filed in early October sought to establish a cure process for absentee ballots missing signatures (+). 53% voted absentee; 47% on Election Day: Absentee in person: 893,000 Absentee by mail: 441,000 Election Day votes: 1,199,000 |
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Overview:
The Feb. 29 presidential
primary set Joe Biden on the path to the
Democratic nomination, but Republicans
were
all but certain to carry South Carolina in the
general election as they have in every election
since Jimmy Carter won the state in 1976.
Trump-Pence won with a plurality of 293,562 votes
(11.68 percentage points), carrying 33 counties to
13 for Biden. Trump flipped Clarendon and
Dillon Cos.. + Two former governors figured in the 2020 presidential campaign. Former Gov. Mark Sanford (R) waged a short-lived campaign for the Republican nomination, pulling out in Nov. 2019. Former Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the UN through Dec. 31, 2018, was seen as a likely 2024 candidate for president (or if Trump had decided to pull out of the 2020 race, the most likely figure to join the ticket). In Feb. 2019 she formed Stand for America, an "advocacy group promoting public policies that strengthen America’s economy, culture, and national security." > Libertarian presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen is a South Carolina resident and lecturer at Clemson University. The U.S. Senate race between Jaime Harrison and Lindsey Graham attracted national interest and was the fourth most expensive Senate race of the cycle, with total spending of $278.3 million. [SCSEC] BALLOT [PDF] |
[State
Primary: June 9, 2020
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| Democrats Biden 262,336 (48.65%), Sanders 106,605 (19.77%), Steyer 61,140 (11.34%), Buttigieg 44,217 (8.20%), Warren 38,120 (7.07%), Klobuchar 16,900 (3.13%)... Total 539, 263. details 63 Delegates: 35 District, 12 At-Large, 7 PLEO, 9 Unpledged. |
Republicans no primary held |
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| 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 |
| Bush 48.02% |
Dole 49.79% |
Bush 56.84% |
Bush 57.98% |
McCain 53.87% |
Romney 54.56% |
Trump 54.94% |
and
the details...
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| Voting Eligible
Population*: 3,706,769. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 56.7%. Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 8, 2016. Absentee Voting: > |
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Overview:
Republicans carried
South Carolina as they have in every election
since Jimmy Carter won the state in 1976.
A couple of polls in August did show
the two major party candidates tied here, and South
Carolina Democrats made an effort, but the
Trump-Pence ticket garnered a plurality of 300,016
votes (14.27 percentage points), carrying 31
counties to 15 for the Democrats. All in all
the things were quiet after the intensity of the
primaries nine-plus months earlier. Volunteers
made their way to the neighboring battleground state
of North Carolina to help out there. The only
visit noted was Green nominee Jill Stein's trip on
Oct. 4; she held rallies in Spartanburg and
Columbia. The Post and Courier, South Carolina's
most circulated newspaper, was one of about nine
major newspapers to endorse the Libertarian
candidate Gary Johnson. Clinton | Trump BALLOT [PDF] |
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| Voting Eligible
Population*:
3,311,044. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 58.0%. |
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2012 Overview Romney-Ryan won South Carolina with a plurality of 206,704 votes (10.47 percentage points), carrying 25 counties to 21 for Obama-Biden. South Carolina borders on battleground North Carolina and is relatively close to Florida. There were also a few visits. Joe Biden attended a fundraiser in the Charleston area on May 8 (he also made a brief, low-key visit on Oct. 16 to attend a vigil for Peatsy Hollings in Charleston). Ann Romney did a fundraiser in Spartanburg on June 11, Mitt Romney did a press avail. and a fundraiser in Greenville on Aug. 16, and Paul Ryan did a fundraiser in Greenville on Oct. 26. Gary Johnson spoke at Winthrop University in Rock Hill on Sept. 5 and Jim Gray did several events in the Charleston area on Oct. 20. Obama | (Romney) BALLOT [PDF] |
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| Voting Eligible
Population*:
3,279,329. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 58.6%. |
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2008 Overview McCain-Palin won South Carolina with a plurality of 172,447 votes (8.97 percentage points); the Republican ticket carried 26 counties to 20 for Obama-Biden. Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader |
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| Voting Eligible Population*:
3,055,098. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 53.0%. |
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2004 Overview Bush won with a plurality of 276,275 votes (17.08 percentage points). Bush won 31 counties to 15 for Kerry. |
| General Election -- Tuesday,
November 7, 2000 |
| Voting
Eligible Population*:
2,944,326. VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 47.0%. |
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2000
Overview South Carolina, the scene of such great activity during the Republican presidential primary in February, saw a very quite campaign on the presidential level in the fall. None of the principals visited. Bush carried the Palmetto State with a comfortable plurality of 220,307 votes (15.94 percentage points). Bush won 31 counties to 15 for Gore. Heath Thompson ran Republicans' Victory 2000 effort; Remle Beard was Gore-Lieberman state director. One issue on the ballot that did generate considerable debate was Amendment 1 to lift a ban on lotteries; it passed. |
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