Saturday is presidential primary day for SC GOP voters. Here’s what you need to know
South Carolina Republican voters Saturday will say who they want to nominate for president as the primary election featuring former President Donald Trump and former Gov. Nikki Haley is held.
Any of the state’s 3.1 million registered voters who did not participate in the Feb. 3 Democratic presidential primary is eligible to cast a ballot in the GOP primary.
State GOP Chairman Drew McKissick has estimated about 1 million people could vote in Saturday’s primary.
Before heading to the polls, here’s what to know.
Polling places may have been combined. County election commissions have the flexibility to combine locations in primary in order to save money, the state election commission said.
To check where you’ll vote, go to scvotes.gov.
Who’s on the ballot?
Seven names are on the S.C. GOP ballot, even though some candidates have already dropped out of the race.
▪ Pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley
▪ Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
▪ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
▪ Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley
▪ Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
▪ Air Force Major and Florida businessman David Stuckenberg
▪ Former President Donald Trump
Christie, DeSantis and Ramaswamy have withdrawn from the race. The South Carolina Election Commission said signs will be posted to say who is no longer running in the election.
More than just president
Voters also will see three advisory questions on the ballot. The questions, chosen by the party, have no legal effect, but allow voters to signal to state lawmakers where they stand on three issues.
One is a question that the state Republican Party has pushed before is asking about voter registration by party. South Carolina does not have registration by political party and has an open primary. The question has appeared on primary ballots since 2018 and registration by party is a top priority for the state Republicans, McKissick said.
▪ Should South Carolina law be changed to give people the right to register to vote with the political party of their choice?
One questions plays into the ongoing debate about judicial reform at the State House as lawmakers debate the process in how they elect judges.
▪ Should South Carolina adopt reforms to increase the independence and accountability of our judiciary by improving transparency and reducing conflicts of interest in the process of reviewing judicial qualifications and electing judges?
One question deals with tort reform and is about helping small business, the South Carolina Republican Party said. The current law allows a plaintiff to go after a person with the deepest pockets no matter how much responsibility they have in an incident. The party says the question is about making sure liability is proportional.
▪ Should it be an immediate legislative priority to protect South Carolina’s competitiveness and small businesses by changing state law so that a person’s responsibility for financial damages in a lawsuit is based on that person’s actual share of responsibility?
This story was originally published February 12, 2024 at 11:43 AM.
