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Voting history · South Carolina

South Carolina

A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.

This is the state view: events recorded for South Carolina, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.

Congressional districts in South Carolina

Choose a district to see the events tagged to it. A number after the district is how many events name it.

Kind of event
Decade

In South Carolina

2008

  1. Mar 21, 2008 County Maps and lines Settled

    Court enters consent decree on Georgetown County school board elections

    On March 14, 2008, the United States filed a complaint in United States v. Georgetown County School District (D.S.C.) alleging violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, on the ground that the at-large methods of electing the board diluted African American voting strength. The court entered a consent decree on March 21, 2008.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2004

  1. Nov 29, 2004 County Maps and lines Decided by a court

    Supreme Court denies review of ruling that Charleston County at-large council elections violated Section 2

    The Justice Department alleged in its complaint (D.S.C., listed as filed in 2001) that the at-large method of electing members of the Charleston County council violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. After trial the district court found the method violated Section 2, and the Fourth Circuit affirmed in a decision reported at 365 F.3d 341 (2004). The Department's page says certiorari was denied on November 29, 2004.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2003

  1. Sep 16, 2003 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in North (Orangeburg County): Annexations

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for South Carolina records an objection letter dated September 16, 2003, to North (Orangeburg County). The list describes the change as "Annexations." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2002

  1. Dec 9, 2002 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Clinton (Laurens County): Annexations designation to Ward 1

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for South Carolina records an objection letter dated December 9, 2002, to Clinton (Laurens County). The list describes the change as "Annexations designation to Ward 1." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  2. Sep 3, 2002 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Union County School District (Union County): 2002 redistricting plan

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for South Carolina records an objection letter dated September 3, 2002, to Union County School District (Union County). The list describes the change as "2002 redistricting plan." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  3. Jun 27, 2002 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Sumter County: 2001 redistricting plan

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for South Carolina records an objection letter dated June 27, 2002, to Sumter County. The list describes the change as "2001 redistricting plan." The list links the objection letter.

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

2001

  1. Nov 2, 2001 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to a change in Greer (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties): 2001 redistricting plan

    The Justice Department's list of Section 5 objections for South Carolina records an objection letter dated November 2, 2001, to Greer (Greenville and Spartanburg Counties). The list describes the change as "2001 redistricting plan." The list links the objection letter.

    Counties: Greenville County, Spartanburg County

    Source last checked Oct 24, 2026

  2. Oct 12, 2001 County Maps and lines Blocked by federal objection

    Justice Department objects under Section 5 to the City of Charleston's 2001 council plan

    In a letter of October 12, 2001, the Justice Department stated that, on behalf of the Attorney General, it must object to the City of Charleston's 2001 redistricting plan. The letter says the plan would reduce the number of majority-minority council districts from six to five, and it questions combining existing District 2 with District 4 given projected growth on Daniel Island, in the Berkeley County portion of the city.

    Counties: Charleston County, Berkeley County

    Source last checked Oct 20, 2026

Nationwide

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How this timeline is built

Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.

When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · Back to the 2026 voting center.