The short version
In South Carolina, party candidates get on the primary ballot by filing a Statement of Intention of Candidacy with the right election office during the filing period; independent and petition candidates qualify by petition for the general election.
- Offices you can run for
- Federal (U.S. House and Senate); statewide offices (Governor and other state officials); the State Senate and House; and county and municipal offices.
- How to get on the ballot
- File a Statement of Intention of Candidacy / Party Pledge form and pay the filing fee — with the State Election Commission for federal, statewide, and multi-county offices, or with your County Board of Voter Registration and Elections for local offices. You also file a Statement of Economic Interests with the State Ethics Commission. An agent may deliver your signed, notarized filing on your behalf.
- Who runs candidate filing
- South Carolina State Election Commission
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Filing deadlines and fees change every election cycle and vary by office; the official South Carolina resources below are the final word. When in doubt, the elections authority is right and we're wrong.
Find your South Carolina county
Every county runs its own filing office and its own local races. See all 46 South Carolina counties, each with its election office, fees, deadlines and local facts.
Official South Carolina candidate resources
Start here for the exact deadlines, fees, forms, and signature counts for your office and cycle. Note: 2026 filing has closed in most states, so these resources govern the standing rules; check the official calendar for your next filing window.
Once you're on the ballot, Motion51 runs your field game.
Get your district's voter file loaded, cut into walkable turf, and onto an app your volunteers use at the door. South Carolina is fully available; see how to get your voter file.
Talk to us about your South Carolina race
Tell us what you're running for and we'll help you go from "qualified" to "knocking doors": voter file loaded, turf cut, volunteers set up.