How to run in South Carolina, 2028
What it takes to get on South Carolina's 2028 ballot for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate or President, from the state's election office and laws.
U.S. House
Who can run
- At least 25 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 7 years
- Living in the state when elected (the Constitution doesn't require living in the district)
Getting on the South Carolina ballot
| Where to file | South Carolina State Election Commission, Columbia (congressional candidates file with the SEC; S.C. Code § 7-11-15(A)(1)). |
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| When | Under § 7-11-15 as amended by 2026 Act No. 137 (effective January 1, 2027), party candidates file between noon on March 16 and noon on March 25, with a deadline falling on a weekend moving to noon on the next business day. In 2028 March 25 is a Saturday, so the period runs noon Thursday, March 16 through noon Monday, March 27, 2028. The primary is the second Tuesday in June (§ 7-13-15), June 13, 2028. (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | File a Statement of Intention of Candidacy and Party Pledge on the SEC form and pay the fees within the filing period. The form includes an affirmation that the candidate meets, or will meet by the general election, the qualifications for the office. The party pledge must be signed personally by the candidate in the presence of a person authorized by the election commission director; a pledge signed by an agent is not valid (§ 7-11-210). In the pledge the candidate agrees to abide by the primary results and not to run in the general election by petition or write-in for an office the party has a nominee for. |
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| Fee | 1% of the total salary for the term of the office or $100, whichever is greater (§ 7-11-15(B), effective 2027) -- for a two-year U.S. House term at the $174,000 annual salary, $3,480. A party may also charge a certification fee of up to $100 if it notifies the SEC by December 1, 2027 (§ 7-11-15(C)). |
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| Petition instead | No petition-in-lieu-of-fee option for party candidates appears in the code sections read. Candidates nominated by petition (independents) need signatures of at least 5% of the qualified registered electors of the district, counted as of 120 days before the election, but not more than 10,000 (§ 7-11-70); each page may contain signers from only one county (§ 7-11-80). The petition is submitted to the State Election Commission by noon on July 15, or the following Monday if July 15 is a weekend (§ 7-13-351) -- noon Monday, July 17, 2028. |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution
U.S. Senate
Who can run
- At least 30 years old
- A U.S. citizen for at least 9 years
- Living in the state when elected
Getting on the South Carolina ballot
| Where to file | South Carolina State Election Commission, Columbia (§ 7-11-15(A)(1)). |
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| When | Noon March 16 through noon March 27, 2028 (statutory March 16-25 period, with the Saturday deadline moved to the next business day; § 7-11-15 effective January 1, 2027), for the June 13, 2028 primary (§ 7-13-15). (expected: follows state law; the 2028 calendar isn't published yet) |
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| How | Statement of Intention of Candidacy and Party Pledge on the SEC form, signed personally in the presence of a person authorized by the election commission director, with fees paid during the filing period (§§ 7-11-15, 7-11-210). |
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| Fee | 1% of the total salary for the six-year term or $100, whichever is greater (§ 7-11-15(B)) -- $10,440 at the $174,000 annual salary -- plus any party certification fee of up to $100 (§ 7-11-15(C)). |
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| Petition instead | No petition-in-lieu-of-fee option for party candidates appears in the code sections read. Petition (independent) candidates: signatures of 5% of the state's qualified registered electors as of 120 days before the election, capped at 10,000 (§ 7-11-70), submitted to the SEC by noon Monday, July 17, 2028 (§ 7-13-351). |
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Official filing information · U.S. Constitution · South Carolina's 2028 Senate race
President
Who can run: At least 35 years old; A natural-born U.S. citizen; A U.S. resident for at least 14 years (U.S. Constitution).
Getting on South Carolina's presidential primary ballot
| How | Party-run process with no state candidate filing. A presidential candidate files with the state organization of a certified political party. Filing processes, fees and primary dates are set by each party and may differ from party to party and from year to year (State Election Commission, 'Filing for President'). Under S.C. Code 7-11-20(B), a certified party may hold a presidential preference primary under its own rules, and its state committee sets the date, the poll hours and the filing requirements. If the party's presidential candidate got at least 5% of the South Carolina vote and its state committee chooses to hold a primary, the State Election Commission conducts it. The party then verifies and certifies its qualified candidates to the Commission and may charge a certification fee. A voter may vote in only one party's presidential primary. Contact the party for 2028 filing details. |
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| Where | The state organization of the political party. For a Commission-run primary, the party certifies its candidates to the South Carolina State Election Commission, Columbia. |
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| When | Set by each party. The party must give the State Election Commission written notice of its primary date at least 90 days before the primary (7-11-20(B)(3)). No 2028 date is set by state law. |
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| Fee | Set by the party. For a Commission-run primary the party may charge a certification fee and must send the Commission a filing fee of up to $20,000 per certified candidate, as set by the Commission, to pay for the primary (7-11-20(B)(2)). |
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| Petition | None under state law; any petition requirement would be set by party rules. |
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Sources: scstatehouse.gov · Candidates (scvotes.gov)
Running as an independent in November
| How | File a nominating petition with the State Election Commission (S.C. Code 7-11-70, 7-13-351). The petition must follow the standard form in 7-11-80: 8.5 x 14 inch bond paper, with the candidate's name, the office and the election date stated. Columns are required for signature and printed name, registered residence address, and precinct. Each page may hold signers from only one county, and signatures and pages must be numbered consecutively. The Commission posts a petition form on its Candidates page. The Commission verifies the candidate's qualifications before certifying the candidate to the ballot. Write-in votes for President are not allowed in South Carolina. |
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| Where | South Carolina State Election Commission, Columbia (scvotes.gov). |
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| When | By noon on July 15 of the general election year, or noon the following Monday if July 15 is a weekend (7-13-351). July 15, 2028 is a Saturday, so the deadline is noon Monday, July 17, 2028. The elector names and their declarations are filed with the Secretary of State at least 60 days before Election Day: by September 8, 2028. (expected: follows state law) |
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| Fee | None stated for petition candidates. |
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| Petition | The 7-11-70 rule is 5% of registered voters in the office's area, capped at 10,000. For President the cap applies: valid signatures of 10,000 active, registered South Carolina voters (SEC 'Filing for President'). |
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| Also | A petition candidate for President and Vice President must nominate as many electors as South Carolina has seats in Congress (9 in 2024). Each elector declares which ticket they will vote for. The electors are filed with the Secretary of State at least 60 days before the election, after the July petition deadline (SEC Electoral College page). The ballot lists the presidential and vice-presidential candidates together. |
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Sources: scstatehouse.gov · scstatehouse.gov (2) · Candidates (scvotes.gov) · Electoral college in south carolina (scvotes.gov)
Campaign money
- Once you raise or spend more than $5,000, file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days.
- Your campaign committee then files a Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) within 10 days and reports to the FEC.
FEC: registering as a candidate · FEC campaign guides
Checked November 4, 2026. Rules can change; confirm with South Carolina's election office and the FEC before you file. ← All states
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