South Carolina State Senate elections, 2020

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2020 South Carolina
Senate Elections
Flag of South Carolina.png
GeneralNovember 3, 2020
PrimaryJune 9, 2020
Primary runoffJune 23, 2020
Past Election Results
2016・2012・2008
2020 Elections
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Republicans gained seats in the 2020 elections for South Carolina State Senate, preserving their majority. All 46 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans held 27 seats and Democrats held 19. Republicans gained a net three seats, meaning Republicans expanded their majority to 30-16.

The South Carolina State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 46 Senate seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

South Carolina's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In South Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

South Carolina modified its absentee/mail-in and in-person voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Any eligible voter could request an absentee ballot for the general election. Return postage for all mailed absentee ballots was prepaid.
  • In-person voting: In-person absentee voting was authorized to begin on October 5, 2020.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas
South Carolina State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 19 16
     Republican Party 27 30
Total 46 46

Candidates

General election

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Primary runoff election




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Primary election




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Incumbents who were not re-elected
See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Three incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Floyd Nicholson Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 10
Glenn Reese Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 11
Vincent Sheheen Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 27

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

No incumbents lost in the June 9 primaries.

Retiring incumbents

There were three open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[1] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Greg Gregory Ends.png Republican Senate District 16
John Matthews Electiondot.png Democratic Senate District 39
Paul Campbell Ends.png Republican Senate District 44


The three open seats in 2020 was equal to the number of open seats in 2016, both of which were lower than the six left open in 2012. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2012 and 2020.

Open Seats in South Carolina State Senate elections: 2012 - 2020
Year Total seats Open seats Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020 46 3 (7 percent) 43 (93 percent)
2016 46 3 (7 percent) 43 (93 percent)
2012 46 6 (13 percent) 40 (87 percent)

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Carolina

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 7, Chapter 11 of the South Carolina Code

In South Carolina, a candidate can run as the nominee of a political party, as an independent, or as a write-in.

For partisan candidates

"Statement of Intention of Candidacy/Party Pledge Form," 2013

Each non-presidential candidate seeking a political party's nomination to run in a general or special election must file a "Statement of Intention of Candidacy/Party Pledge Form" (SICPP) between noon on March 16 and noon on March 30. A candidate for federal office or statewide office (i.e., governor or secretary of state) must file with the South Carolina State Election Commission. A candidate for the state legislature, a countywide office, or a less-than-countywide office must file with the county election commission in the candidate's county of residence. The candidate must also file a statement of economic interests with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. A candidate who files as a Democrat or Republican must pay a filing fee.[2][3][4]

For independent candidates

An independent candidate must be nominated by petition. The petition must contain signatures equaling at least 5 percent of the qualified registered electors in the geographical area of the office being sought. No petition candidate is required to collect more than 10,000 signatures for any office.[5][6]

Petition candidates for multi-county offices must file their petitions with the South Carolina State Election Commission. All petition candidates for the state legislature also file with the State Election Commission. A petition candidate must also file a statement of economic interests with the State Ethics Commission. Signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[5][7]

Petition signature requirements for independent candidates in South Carolina
Office sought Number of signatures needed
Governor and other statewide offices 5 percent of the qualified registered voters in the state
State legislators 5 percent of the qualified registered voters in the district or area to be represented

For write-in candidates

Generally, there are no filing forms or fees required to run as a write-in candidate. However, a write-in candidate should notify the appropriate election commission in writing that he or she is conducting a write-in campaign. A candidate who was defeated in a political party's primary may not actively campaign as a write-in candidate for the ensuing election.[8][9]

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for South Carolina State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
South Carolina State Senate Qualified party N/A $416.00 3/30/2020 Source
South Carolina State Senate Unaffiliated 5% of active, registered voters in the district N/A 8/17/2020 Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the South Carolina State Senate, a candidate must be:[10]

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 21 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A resident of the district at the filing deadline time

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[11]
SalaryPer diem
$10,400/year$231/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.[12]

South Carolina political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

South Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Presidential politics in South Carolina

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, South Carolina, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 40.7% 855,373 0
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 54.9% 1,155,389 9
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 2.3% 49,204 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 0.6% 13,034 0
     Constitution Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley 0.3% 5,765 0
     Independence Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson 1% 21,016 0
     American Peter Skewes/Michael Lacy 0.2% 3,246 0
Total Votes 2,103,027 9
Election results via: South Carolina Election Commission

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Carolina utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary. Voters must take an oath affirming that they have not voted in another party's primary.[13][14]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In South Carolina, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[15]


Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in South Carolina, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the county and precinct where he or she is registering, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. People who have been declared mentally incompetent by court order, are imprisoned, or are still serving a sentence for a felony conviction are ineligible to register to vote.[16] The deadline for registration is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters may register using one of the following methods:

  • Online,
  • In person at the county board of elections or one of the following locations:
    • Armed Forces Recruiting Stations
    • Commission for the Blind
    • Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services
    • Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
    • Department of Health and Environmental Control
    • Department of Health and Human Services
    • Department of Mental Health
    • Department of Motor Vehicles
    • Department of Social Services
    • Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities
    • Vocational Rehabilitation Department
  • Returning a voter registration form by email, fax, or mail to the county board of voter registration. Note that mailed applications must be postmarked by at least 30 days before the election.[16]


Automatic registration

South Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.[13]

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

South Carolina has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

South Carolina does not allow same-day voter registration.[13]

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of the county and precinct in which they are registering to vote.[16]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

South Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[16] An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[17] As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The South Carolina Election Commission allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting the MyscVOTES website.


Voter ID requirements

South Carolina requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[15][18]

Voters can present the following forms of identification:

  • SC Driver’s License
  • SC Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
    • includes SC Concealed Weapons Permit
  • SC Voter Registration Card with Photo
  • U.S. Passport
  • Federal Military ID
    • includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and the Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Card

Voters can obtain a free photo ID from a local DMV office or a county elections office.[19]

Early voting

South Carolina permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

According to the South Carolina Election Commission's website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[20]

“
  • Persons with employment obligations which prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons with physical disabilities.
  • Persons sixty-five years of age or older.
  • Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them (Learn more about procedures related to Military and Overseas Citizens).
  • Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.[21]
 ”

To vote absentee, voters must first request an application for the absentee ballot. Application requests can be made in person, by phone, or by mail. The absentee ballot application must then be completed and returned to the voter's county voter registration office by 5:00 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day. Once completed, the ballot must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[20] According to the South Carolina Election Commission's website, only the following types of voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail:[20]

“
  • Persons with employment obligations which prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on election day.
  • Persons with physical disabilities.
  • Persons sixty-five years of age or older.
  • Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them (Learn more about procedures related to Military and Overseas Citizens).
  • Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.[21]
 ”

To vote absentee, voters must first request an application for the absentee ballot. Application requests can be made in person, by phone, or by mail. The absentee ballot application must then be completed and returned to the voter's county voter registration office by 5:00 p.m. at least 11 days before Election Day. Once completed, the ballot must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[20]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  2. ↑ South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-15(a)," accessed January 15, 2014
  3. ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Political Party," accessed October 24, 2013
  4. ↑ South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-15(a)," accessed January 15, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-70," accessed January 15, 2014
  6. ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Petition," accessed October 24, 2013
  7. ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Nomination by Petition," accessed October 24, 2013
  8. ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Write-in Candidates," accessed October 24, 2013
  9. ↑ South Carolina Code, "Title 7-11-210," accessed January 15, 2014
  10. ↑ South Carolina Secretary of State, "Qualifications for office," accessed December 18, 2013
  11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  12. ↑ South Carolina Constitution, "Article III, Section 10," accessed November 1, 2021
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "ncsl" defined multiple times with different content
  14. ↑ South Carolina Legislature,"South Carolina Code of Laws Unannotated § 7-9-10," accessed September 24, 2024
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 South Carolina Election Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election," accessed August 20, 2024
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 South Carolina Election Commission, “Register to Vote,” accessed May 2, 2023
  17. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  18. ↑ Justia, "SC Code § 7-13-710 (2022)," accessed May 2, 2023
  19. ↑ South Carolina Elections Commission, "FAQs for the 2024 General Election, accessed August 13, 2024
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 South Carolina State Election Commission, "Absentee Voting," accessed May 2, 2023
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.


Current members of the South Carolina State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Thomas Alexander
Majority Leader:Shane Massey
Minority Leader:Brad Hutto
Senators
District 1
District 2
Rex Rice (R)
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
Ed Sutton (D)
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
Tom Young (R)
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
District 46
Tom Davis (R)
Republican Party (34)
Democratic Party (12)


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