How to vote · 2026
South Carolina
South CarolinaMail voting requires an excuse
Registration, mail-ballot, and early-voting dates, with source notes and official election-office links. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026Register by mail (postmarked) by Oct. 5, 2026; online and email by Oct. 4; in person by Oct. 2-4 depending on county office hours. No same-day registration.
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 23, 2026
Mail ballots first sentAbout October 4, 2026Mail absentee voting requires a qualifying excuse (in-person early voting is no-excuse). Absentee ballots are mailed to approved applicants from about 30 days before Election Day (Oct. 4, 2026, per SC election officials/CEIR). Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 23 (11 days out).
Return ruleMust be received by close of polls (7 p.m.) on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 19, 2026Through October 31, 2026 · No-excuse in-person early voting Oct. 19-31, 2026 (excluding Sundays).
Official SC election site ↗Automated verification has not confirmed every listed date. Check the official election office for current deadlines and eligibility rules.Sources: [1] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[2] Excuse-required mail voting Oct. 4-Nov. 3, 2026[3] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[4] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[5] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[6] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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