Voters Encouraged to Register or Update Information Prior to Presidential Primary

To help ensure the upcoming presidential primaries run as efficiently as possible, the S.C. Election Commission wants to remind everyone of upcoming voter registration deadlines and urge those already registered to update their registration information.Those who wish to vote in the Republican primary must register or update their information no later than Dec. 19. Those who wish to vote in the Democratic primary must register or update their information no later than Dec. 26.

S.C. Election Commission Executive Director Marci Andino said voters can help ensure a smoother voting process for themselves- and other voters- by making sure their registration information is up to date and correct before these specific deadlines.

“Having accurate records helps ensure all South Carolina voters cast ballots at the appropriate locations,” Andino said. “If a voter updates his registration information, he can reduce the potential for delays when he signs in on Election Day-and that could have a significant impact on wait time for all voters.”

Andino said all registered voters should check their voter registration cards to ensure their information is correct. Voters may also check their record by calling or visiting their county voter registration offices. Contact information can be found at www.scvotes.org/howtoregister. Voters may also check their information online at http://www.scvotes.org/your_voter_registration.

Voters needing to register to vote have the following options:

  • Stopping by their county voter registration office.
  • Downloading the Voter Registration form from the Voter Information section of www.scvotes.org. The form should be printed, completed and mailed to the voter’s county registration office.

Voters needing to update their registration information have the following options:

  • Calling or stopping by their county voter registration office.
  • Downloading the Voter Registration Update form from the Voter Information section of www.scvotes.org. The form should be printed, completed and mailed to the voter’s county registration office (not applicable to those who have moved to a new county).
  • Updating the information on the back of their voter registration card and mailing the card to their county voter registration office (not applicable to those who have moved to a new county).

2 Responses to “Voters Encouraged to Register or Update Information Prior to Presidential Primary”

  1. I registered to vote many years ago and have kept my card updated. I have heard that because I have voted independently and never signed on to one party that I can not vote in the primary elections. Is this true?

  2. That’s a great question! The answer is no. This is why:

    In South Carolina you do not have to register by party. In fact, you cannot register by party. When you register to vote in SC, you do not select a party - you merely register to vote. So, there is nothing in the Voter Registration database that indicates you are associated with a political party.

    You may vote in either the Democratic or Republican Presidential Preference Primary. Although, you can only choose one of those primaries to vote in.

    I hope that answers your question.

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