SC Presidential Ballot Access
South Carolina Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for South Carolina, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a political party may be placed on the general election. Political parties nominate presidential electors, and must certify names of the candidates for president and vice-president to the state election commission no later than the first Tuesday following the first Monday in September. A political party is a political party, organization, or association certified by the state election c ommission. An organization may obtain certification as a political party by filing with the state election commission no later than 6 months prior to the election a petition containing the signatures of 10,000 or more registered electors.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
A presidential candidate may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing with the state election commission no later than July 15th a petition containing the signatures of at least 5% of qualified registered electors, provided that the petition candidate is not required to furnish more than 10,000 signatures. The names of the presidential electors must be filed with the secretary of state.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
Write-in votes for president are not allowed.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- S.C. Code Ann. §§ 7-7-120, 7-9-10, 7-9-90, 7-11-10, 7-11-70, 7-13-320, 7-13-350, 7-13-351, 7-13-360, 7-19-70
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.