State profile
South Carolina
South Carolina is a U.S. state governed from Columbia through statewide executive offices, a bicameral General Assembly, and a unified judicial system.
- Capital
- Columbia
- Statehood
- May 23, 1788
- Counties
- 46
Page reviewed September 1, 2026
South Carolina boundaryUnited States South Carolina
Demographics and civic data
South Carolina Stat Overview
Hover or focus a category to preview its information. Select a category to keep it displayed.
Top line
Summary
Participation
Civic and elections
Households and work
Economy
People
Demographics
Homes and households
Housing
Education and services
Education and access
Government snapshot
State representation
South Carolina's representation combines federal districts, its bicameral legislature, statewide offices, courts, and local government.
U.S. House districts7current congressional districts
Senate46state legislative seats
House of Representatives124lower-chamber legislative seats
Counties46Census county-equivalent areas
Electoral votes9presidential-election allocation
Statehood8thMay 23, 1788
Current elections
2026 statewide general election
How elections work here
Election rulesOpen partisan primary with majority runoff
South Carolina does not register voters by party. A voter chooses one party's primary; a candidate generally needs a majority to win, with a two-candidate runoff when no candidate reaches that threshold.
Choose one party ballot
All registered voters may participate, but a voter may vote in only one party's primary.
Majority or runoff
A candidate needs a majority in the primary. If no candidate wins one, the top two proceed to a runoff two weeks later.
Nominees meet in November
Party nominees and other qualified candidates appear on the statewide general-election ballot.
Current election
Details coming soonStatewide contests
Election history
Results coming soonPast elections
Past statewide results will remain visible here as they are added. The official archive is available now.
Election information
Candidate and contest pages are not yet available here. Use the official election details and results archive for the latest statewide information.
Government structure
How South Carolina government is organized
The executive, legislative, and judicial branches work alongside statewide administration and local government.
Constitutional structure
Branches of state government
The executive, legislative, and judicial branches are presented as distinct systems with direct official links.
Executive1state government
Executive branch
The Governor and statewide executive offices administer South Carolina law and state programs.
Explore state governmentLegislature170members
Bicameral legislature
46-member Senate and 124-member House of Representatives; legislative elections are partisan.
Explore the legislatureJudiciary1highest court
Supreme Court of South Carolina
The unified judicial system includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit courts, and trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
Explore the courtsAdministration and local government
Statewide and local systems
Use these official links to explore election administration, local government, and the places they serve.
Elections1state authority
State election administration
The state election office publishes voter guidance, candidate records, statewide schedules, and official results.
Open election resourcesLocal government46counties
Counties
Local government arrangements vary across South Carolina. Use the Explorer to browse mapped counties and Find My Area to identify overlapping districts.
Browse mapped areasState reporting
News about South Carolina
Selected reporting about state government and elections will appear here.
State news
More reporting is coming soon
No state-level stories have been selected for this page yet. You can still browse reporting from across Paper Trail Politics.
Browse all newsAbout this page
Data coverage and sources
This page brings together statewide facts, official election information, local-area boundaries, and government sources. Items that are still being added are labeled on the page.
On this pageAvailable information
The page includes statewide facts, election information and official links, local-area boundaries, government structure, and source details.
Reviewed September 1, 2026- Statewide facts and representation
- Official election information
- Local-area boundary explorer
- Government structure and official links
- Local pages, detailed election results, and selected news are still being added
Sources used on this page6 official sources
U.S. Census Bureau
State population, land area, county boundaries, and the statewide boundary outline.
Visit official sourceSouth Carolina Election Commission
The 2026 statewide election calendar, primary and runoff rules, voter registration, and certified results archive.
Visit official sourceSouth Carolina Legislature
The 46-member Senate, 124-member House of Representatives, members, bills, and legislative records.
Visit official sourceSouth Carolina Judicial Branch
Court structure, opinions, calendars, and public judicial resources.
Visit official sourceU.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey
Income, work, demographic, housing, education, internet-access, insurance, and disability measures from the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates.
Visit official sourceNational Conference of State Legislatures
State legislative chamber sizes and total membership.
Visit official source