Presidential election in South Carolina, 2016

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General election in South Carolina
  Date: November 8, 2016
2016 winner: Donald Trump
Electoral votes: Nine
2012 winner: Mitt Romney (R)
Democratic Primary
  Date: February 27, 2016
Winner: Hillary Clinton
Republican Primary
  Date: February 20, 2016
Winner: Donald Trump
Down ballot races in South Carolina
  U.S. Senate
U.S. House
South Carolina State Senate
South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina judicial elections
South Carolina local judicial elections
School boards
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South Carolina held an election for the president of the United States on November 8, 2016. The Republican presidential primary took place on February 20, 2016. The Democratic primary took place on February 27, 2016.[1][2] South Carolina was the first southern state to vote in the 2016 presidential nominating process for both parties.[3]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Donald Trump won South Carolina in the general election.
  • In 2016, South Carolina had nine electoral votes, which was 1.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs and 3.3 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the general election.
  • Between 1900 and 2016, South Carolina cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 53.33 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Carolina supported Democratic candidates for president more often than Republican candidates, 53.33 to 43.33 percent. South Carolina favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
  • Hillary Clinton won the South Carolina Democratic primary 73.4 percent of the vote. Donald Trump won the South Carolina Republican primary with 32.5 percent.

    • General election candidates and results

    See also: Ballot access for presidential candidates

    The candidate list below is based on an official list on the South Carolina state election commission website. The candidate names below appear in the order in which they were listed on the official list—not necessarily the order in which they appeared on the ballot in November. Write-in candidates were not included in the list below.

    Presidential candidates on the ballot in South Carolina

    ☐ Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Democratic)
    ☐ Darrell Castle/Scott Bradley (Constitution)
    ☐ Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson (Independence)[4]
    ☐ Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka (Green)
    CheckedBoxOffset.jpg Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican)
    ☐ Peter Skewes/Michael Lacy (American)
    ☐ Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian)

    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

    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties: The counties that voted Obama-Obama-Trump from 2008-2016

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012, in 34 states.[5] Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes, and had an average margin of victory of 11.45 percent. The political shift in these counties could have a broad impact on elections at every level of government for the next four years.

    Historical election trends

    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of South Carolina's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in South Carolina, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • South Carolina participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • South Carolina voted for the winning presidential candidate 53.33 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[6]
    • South Carolina voted Democratic 53.33 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time.

    Third party votes

    In 1948, Harry S. Truman ran as a Democrat, Thomas E. Dewey ran as a Republican, and J. Strom Thurmond ran under the States' Rights Democratic Party, also known as the Dixiecrats. Thurmond won Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.[7]

    Most and least accurate states

    See also: Presidential election accuracy data

    Below is the list of the most accurate states and the least accurate states when it comes to voting for the winning presidential candidate.

    Most accurate states, 1900-2016
    State Percentage of accuracy
    Ohio 93.33% (28 out of 30 elections)
    New Mexico 88.89% (24 out of 27 elections)
    Nevada 86.67% (26 out of 30 elections)
    Missouri 86.67% (26 out of 30 elections)
    Illinois 83.33% (25 out of 30 elections)
    Least accurate states, 1900-2016
    State Percentage of accuracy
    Washington, D.C. 42.86% (6 out of 14 elections)
    Mississippi 46.67% (14 out of 30 elections)
    Alabama 51.72% (15 out of 29 elections)
    Georgia 53.33% (16 out of 30 elections)
    South Carolina 53.33% (16 out of 30 elections)

    Presidential election voting record in South Carolina, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    Election results

    2012

    U.S. presidential election, South Carolina, 2012
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngMitt Romney/Paul Ryan 54.6% 1,071,645 9
         Democratic Barack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent 44.1% 865,941 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Jim Gray 0.8% 16,321 0
         Green Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala 0.3% 5,446 0
         Constitution Virgil Goode/James Clymer 0.2% 4,765 0
    Total Votes 1,964,118 9
    Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

    2008

    U.S. presidential election, South Carolina, 2008
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn McCain/Sarah Palin 53.9% 1,034,896 8
         Democratic Barack Obama/Joe Biden 44.9% 862,449 0
         Libertarian Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root 0.4% 7,283 0
         Constitution Chuck Baldwin/Darrell Castle 0.4% 6,827 0
         Petition Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez 0.3% 5,053 0
         Green Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 0.2% 4,461 0
    Total Votes 1,920,969 8
    Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

    Electoral votes

    See also: Electoral College

    The president of the United States is not elected by popular vote but rather by electors in the Electoral College. In fact, when Americans vote for president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors selected by members of Democratic and Republican state parties or nominated in some other fashion. Under this system, which is laid out in Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution, each state is allocated one electoral vote for every member of their congressional delegation, meaning one for each member of the U.S. House and one for each of their two Senators.

    South Carolina electors

    In 2016, South Carolina had nine electoral votes. South Carolina's share of electoral votes represented 1.7 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and 3.3 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president.

    "Faithless electors"

    The U.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors. Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as "faithless electors." Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.

    Several states have passed laws against faithless electors and require electors to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, for the candidate of the party that nominated them to serve as electors, or in accordance with any pledge they may have been required to make at the time of their nomination. In states with these types of laws, faithless electors can be fined or replaced, or their votes can be nullified.[9][10]

    South Carolina was one of 31 states in 2016—including the District of Columbia—with a law seeking to bind the votes of presidential electors.

    Down ballot races

    See also: South Carolina elections, 2016

    Below is a list of down ballot races in South Carolina covered by Ballotpedia in 2016.

    South Carolina Primary

    First established in 1980, the South Carolina primary is known for being the first presidential nomination contest below the Mason-Dixon line and for its importance in picking a Republican nominee.[11] Since it was first launched, just one candidate has won the Republican nomination for president without first winning South Carolina’s Republican primary. That candidate was Newt Gingrich, who won the primary in 2012. Mitt Romney, who finished second in South Carolina, ultimately won the Republican nomination.[12]

    The South Carolina primary has also become known for the use of political strategies that are edgier than those used in Iowa and New Hampshire. That reputation is due in part to its placement in the primary cycle: after the first two contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates within the top tier (and those just outside it) have nothing to lose and are increasingly willing to do what they think needs to be done to best position themselves for subsequent contests—including those occurring on March 1, 2016 ("Super Tuesday"), when there were 14 GOP caucuses or primaries and 12 Democratic events scheduled, according to The Washington Post.[13][14][1]

    South Carolina is also the first winner-take-all contest of the cycle, meaning that all the state's delegates—rather than a number of delegates proportional to the number of votes received—are allotted to the primary winner.[3]

    Republicans

    Donald Trump won the South Carolina Republican primary by 10 points over second place finisher Marco Rubio. Trump received 32.5 percent of the vote and Rubio won 22.5 percent. Ted Cruz finished just behind Rubio with 22.3 percent. Those three pulled away from the rest of the field. Jeb Bush came in fourth with 7.8 percent of the vote and dropped out of the race. He was followed by John Kasich who had 7.6 percent and Ben Carson who received 7.2 percent of the vote.[15]

    Trump won 33 percent of born-again evangelicals, which made up 72 percent of the electorate. Cruz won 27 percent and Rubio won 22 percent, according to exit polls. Trump also carried 41 percent of voters without a college degree, who comprised 46 percent of voters. He did well with voters who said they were angry with the government, winning 44 percent of those voters and 36 percent of voters who said they felt betrayed by Republican politicians. Those groups made up 40 percent and 52 percent of the electorate, respectively.[16]

    Primary night was the finale of Jeb Bush's campaign after finishing fourth with 7.8 percent."The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision," Bush said. He added "In this campaign, I have stood my ground, refusing to bend to the political winds. ... Despite what you might have heard, ideas matter. Policy matters."[17]

    The South Carolina Republican presidential primary took place on February 20, 2016. Any voter registered in the state by January 20, 2016—one month before the primary date—could vote in the event. Voters were allowed to participate in either the Republican or Democratic primary, but not both.[1]

    The GOP primary followed a Republican debate that took place on February 13, 2016, in Greenville S.C. According to a Ballotpedia analysis, a majority of Republican insiders surveyed said they believed Rubio came out on top, and a majority of Democratic respondents said that they thought Bush had won the day.

    However, according to a group of polls averaged by Real Clear Politics on February 20, 2016, Trump led with 31.8 percent of the vote, followed by Cruz with 18.4 percent. Rubio was third with 17.8 percent, Bush was fourth with 10.3 percent, John Kasich was fifth with 9.5 percent, and Ben Carson was sixth with 6.9 percent.

    Democrats

    Hillary Clinton won the South Carolina Democratic primary with more than 70 percent of the vote. Her victory marked her second consecutive primary win over Bernie Sanders, who received roughly 25 percent of the vote in South Carolina. Clinton won every county in the state, and, based on exit polls conducted by CNN, she won almost every major demographic. She won 74 percent of female voters and 77 percent of voters aged 45 and older. Eighty-four percent of black voters, who made up 62 percent of respondents in the exit polls, supported Clinton. In 2008, by contrast, she won only 19 percent of black primary voters in the state, while Barack Obama won 78 percent.[18] Clinton also won 62 percent of non-college graduates and 72 percent of college graduates, and she won voters with incomes ranging from less than $30,000 per year to more than $100,000 per year. Eighty-two percent of voters with a high school degree or less supported her. Voters, who politically identified as liberal or moderate/conservative backed Clinton 62 percent and 73 percent respectively.[19]

    Sanders outperformed Clinton in a only a few demographics. Sixty-three percent of voters aged 17 to 29 and 70 percent of first-time Democratic primary voters supported him. The latter group made up 15 percent of exit poll participants. Sanders also won 58 percent of white voters.[19]

    The Democratic primary took place on February 27, 2016.[2] Any voter registered in the state by January 27, 2016—one month before the primary date—could vote in the event. Voters were allowed to participate in either the Democratic or Republican Party primaries, but not both.[20]

    The most recent debate attended by the Democratic candidates prior to the primary was on February 11, 2016, in Milwaukee, Wis. According to a Ballotpedia analysis, most Democratic insiders surveyed said that Hillary Clinton won the debate. But a majority of Republicans surveyed said they thought Bernie Sanders was the victor.

    A group of polls averaged by Real Clear Politics on February 15, 2016, had Clinton in the lead with 61 percent in South Carolina. Sanders had 36 percent.

    Primary results

    State-wide

    Democratic

    South Carolina Democratic Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton 73.4% 272,379 39
    Bernie Sanders 26% 96,498 14
    Martin O'Malley 0.2% 713 0
    Willie Wilson 0.4% 1,314 0
    Totals 370,904 53
    Source: South Carolina State Election Commission

    Republican

    South Carolina Republican Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump 32.5% 240,882 50
    Marco Rubio 22.5% 166,565 0
    Ted Cruz 22.3% 165,417 0
    Jeb Bush 7.8% 58,056 0
    John Kasich 7.6% 56,410 0
    Ben Carson 7.2% 53,551 0
    Totals 740,881 50
    Source: South Carolina State Election Commission

    Primary candidates

    Democrats[21]

    Hillary Clinton


    Martin O'Malley


    Bernie Sanders Willie Wilson

    Republicans[22]

    Jeb Bush
    Ben Carson
    Chris Christie
    Ted Cruz
    Carly Fiorina


    Jim Gilmore
    Lindsey Graham
    Mike Huckabee
    Bobby Jindal
    John Kasich


    George Pataki
    Rand Paul
    Marco Rubio
    Rick Santorum
    Donald Trump

    Polls

    Democratic primary

    Democratic Party Democratic Party presidential primary polling (South Carolina)
    Poll Hillary Clinton Bernie SandersUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Clemson University
    February 20-25, 2016    		64%14%22%+/-3650
    Emerson College
    February 22-24, 2016    		60%37%3%+/-6266
    American Research Group
    February 17-18, 2016    		61%32%7%+/-5400
    NBC News/WSJ/Marist
    February 15-17, 2016    		60%32%8%+/-4.8425
    Fox News
    February 15-17, 2016    		56%28%16%+/-4642
    Bloomberg
    February 13-17, 2016    		53%31%16%+/-4.9403
    Monmouth University
    February 14-16, 2016    		59%30%11%+/-4.9403
    American Research Group
    February 14-16, 2016    		61%31%8%+/-5400
    CNN/ORC
    February 10-15, 2016    		56%38%7%+/-6280
    Public Policy Polling
    February 14-15, 2016    		55%34%11%+/-3.3525
    Gravis Marketing
    February 11-13, 2016    		59%41%0%+/-4507
    CBS News/YouGov
    February 10-12, 2016    		59%40%1%+/-8.7404
    American Research Group
    February 12-13, 2016    		65%27%8%+/-5400
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.


    Note: In October 2015, Joe Biden announced that he would not run for president in 2016. During the same month, Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Lawrence Lessig ended their campaigns for the presidential election in 2016. The Democratic polls below reflect polling during the time when their campaigns were still active, and it was widely expected that Biden would run in 2016.

    Republican primary

    Republican Party Republican Party presidential primary polling (South Carolina)
    Poll Donald Trump Ted CruzMarco RubioJeb BushJohn KasichBen CarsonUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 18, 2016    		33.51%18.96%18.07%11.56%8.49%5.22%4.19%+/-23,500
    Clemson
    February 14-18, 2016    		28%19%15%10%9%6%13%+/-3650
    Augusta Chronicle
    February 18-19, 2016    		26.9%18.8%24.1%10.6%7.5%8.2%3.9%+/-3.5780
    Emerson
    February 16-18, 2016    		36%18%19%10%10%6%1%+/-4.7418
    NBC News/WSJ/Marist
    February 15-17, 2016    		28%23%15%13%9%9%3%+/-3.6722
    American Research Group
    February 17-18, 2016    		34%13%22%9%14%4%4%+/-5401
    Fox News
    February 15-17, 2016    		32%19%15%9%6%9%10%+/-3.5759
    Harper Polling
    February 16-17, 2016    		29%17%15%14%13%8%4%+/-4599
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 17, 2016    		34.12%17.52%15.59%14.49%8.72%5.04%4.52%+/-25,800
    Bloomberg Politics
    February 13-16, 2016    		36%17%15%13%7%9%3%+/-4.4502
    Monmouth University
    February 14-16, 2016    		35%19%17%8%9%7%5%+/-4.9400
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 16, 2016    		34.74%15.82%15.82%14.15%8.6%5.91%4.95%+/-22,400
    Emerson College
    February 15-16, 2016    		33%20%19%9%9%5%5%+/-5375
    CNN/ORC
    February 10-15, 2016    		38%22%14%10%4%6%6%+/-5404
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 15, 2016    		33.57%15.54%14.83%14.54%7.98%6.5%7.03%+/-2.41,700
    American Research Group
    February 14-16, 2016    		33%14%16%9%14%3%10%+/-5400
    Public Policy Polling
    February 14-15, 2016    		35%18%18%7%10%7%5%+/-3.3897
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 14, 2016    		32.65%13.94%14.02%13.39%9.87%5.79%10.34%+/-2.831,300
    Gravis Marketing
    February 11-13, 2016    		37%23%19%9%6%6%0%+/-31,281
    CBS News
    February 10-12, 2016    		42%20%15%6%9%6%2%+/-4.7744
    American Research Group
    February 12-13, 2016    		35%12%14%10%15%2%12%+/-5400
    South Carolina House GOP
    February 11-12, 2016    		34.5%15.5%12.5%13%8.5%5%11%+/-31,200
    Opinion Savvy
    February 10-11, 2016    		36.3%19.6%14.6%10.9%8.7%4.7%5.2%+/-3.5779
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.
    Republican Party Republican Party presidential primary polling (South Carolina)
    Poll Donald Trump Ben CarsonTed CruzMarco RubioJeb BushCarly FiorinaRand PaulMike HuckabeeJohn KasichChris ChristieUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    NBC News/WSJ/Marist
    January 2016 (Date range not specified)    		36%8%20%14%9%1%1%2%1%2%6%+/-3.7718
    CBS News/YouGov
    January 17-21, 2016    		40%9%21%13%8%1%3%2%2%1%0%+/-5.31,370
    Augusta Chronicle
    January 15, 2016    		32%9%18%11%13%2%2%1.5%2.5%2.5%5.5%+/-N/A683
    CBS News/YouGov
    December 14-17, 2015    		38%9%23%12%7%1%4%1%2%1%2%+/-N/A514
    Augusta Chronicle/Opinion Savvy
    December 16, 2015    		28.3%9.5%21.1%11.6%9.8%4.6%2.6%2.1%1.4%5.5%1.3%+/-4.2536
    Winthrop University
    November 30-December 7, 2015    		24%14%16%11%9%2%1%2%1%1%17%+/-3.4828
    Fox News
    December 5-8, 2015    		35%15%14%14%5%1%2%1%1%2%7%+/-4.5437
    CBS News/You Gov
    November 15-19, 2015    		35%19%13%16%5%2%1%2%2%1%3%+/-5.1574
    Public Policy Polling
    November 7-8, 2015    		25%21%15%13%8%5%2%2%3%1%3%+/-3.5787
    Monmouth University
    November 5-8, 2015    		27%28%9%11%7%2%1%2%1%1%9%+/-4.9401
    Clemson Palmetto
    October 13-23, 2015    		23%19%8%9%7%6%1%2%2%1%15%+/-4600
    CBS News/YouGov
    October 15-22, 2015    		40%23%8%7%6%3%1%2%2%1%5%+/-N/A512
    CNN/ORC
    October 3-10, 2015    		36%18%5%9%6%7%4%3%1%1%9%+/-4.5521
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

    Delegates

    Delegate selection

    See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

    Democratic Party

    Democratic Party Logo.png

    South Carolina had 59 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 53 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.[23][24]

    Six party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[23][25]

    South Carolina superdelegates

    See also: Superdelegates from South Carolina, 2016 and Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

    Republican Party

    Logo-GOP.png

    South Carolina had 50 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 21 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's seven congressional districts). South Carolina's district-level delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won the plurality of the vote in a given congressional district was allocated all three of that district's delegates.[26][27]

    Of the remaining 29 delegates, 26 served at large. South Carolina's at-large delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won the greatest number of votes statewide received all 26 of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention. The RNC delegates were pledged to support the candidate who won the South Carolina primary.[26][27]

    Republican delegates

    See also: Republican delegates from South Carolina, 2016 and RNC delegate guidelines from South Carolina, 2016

    Presidential voting history

    South Carolina presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 16 Democratic wins
    • 15 Republican wins
    • 1 other win
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    Winning Party D D D D D D D D D D D D SR[28] D D D R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R

    State profile

    Demographic data for South Carolina
     South CarolinaU.S.
    Total population:4,894,834316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):30,0613,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:67.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:27.5%12.6%
    Asian:1.4%5.1%
    Native American:0.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:2%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:5.3%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:85.6%86.7%
    College graduation rate:25.8%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$45,483$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:22%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in South Carolina.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    Presidential voting pattern

    See also: Presidential voting trends in South Carolina

    South Carolina voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

    Pivot Counties (2016)

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in South Carolina, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[29]

    Pivot Counties (2020)

    In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. South Carolina had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

    More South Carolina coverage on Ballotpedia

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The S.C. Republican Party, "2016 Primary Central," accessed February 15, 2015
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 South Carolina Democratic Party, "Primary Voting Day is February 27," accessed February 15, 2016
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 WMBF News, "First in the South Primary to bring biggest win for candidates," February 1, 2016
    4. ↑ On October 6, 2016, Evan McMullin announced Mindy Finn as his official running mate. As of October 10, 2016, Ballotpedia was not aware of any changes to this state's official list of certified presidential candidates.
    5. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
    6. ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    7. ↑ U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, "Electoral Votes, 1940-1948," accessed June 21, 2016
    8. ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
    9. ↑ Archives.gov, "About the Electors," accessed July 28, 2016
    10. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: How it works in contemporary presidential elections," April 13, 2016
    11. ↑ NPR, "South Carolina's Role as GOP Kingmaker," January 16, 2008
    12. ↑ The S.C. Republican Party, "First in the South: South Carolina’s Presidential Primary History," accessed February 15, 2016
    13. ↑ The Washington Post, "‘You didn’t hear this from me, but. . .’: Why South Carolina primary politics are so dirty," February 11, 2016
    14. ↑ NPR, "NPR Politics Podcast: South Carolina's Dirty Reputation," February 13, 2016
    15. ↑ NPR, "Trump Wins South Carolina; Rubio Edges Out Cruz For Second," February 20, 2016
    16. ↑ CNN Politics, "South Carolina Exit Polls," February 20, 2016
    17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named trumpbush
    18. ↑ CNN, "2008 South Carolina exit polls," January 25, 2008
    19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dexit
    20. ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Voter Registration Deadlines for PPP Fast Approaching," January 20, 2016
    21. ↑ First in the South, "Candidates," accessed November 8, 2015
    22. ↑ South Carolina Republican Party, "Press Release: 15 Republican candidates file for President in South Carolina," September 30, 2015
    23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
    24. ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
    25. ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
    26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
    27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
    28. ↑ States' Rights Democratic Party
    29. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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