By PalmettoBallot
Apr 14, 2025
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Straight-party ticket voting has been a cornerstone of South Carolina's general elections for decades, serving as a key indicator of partisan loyalty and electoral behavior. This unique voting option, which allows voters to cast a ballot for all candidates of a single party with one mark, continues to hold sway in the Palmetto State—often accounting for nearly half or more of all ballots cast. Explore our archive of straight party voting in South Carolina.
A Look at the Numbers
In the 2024 general election, 51.32% of South Carolina voters—more than 1.3 million people—opted to vote straight party out of 2,566,404 ballots. While a slim majority, this figure marked a slight decline from the 2022 midterm election, when 54.04% of voters chose the straight-party option.
Straight-ticket voting peaked in the 2020 general election, when 63.72% of ballots were straight party, totaling over 1.6 million votes. This represented a significant jump from previous cycles and reflected the highly polarized environment of a presidential election year. A similar level was seen in 2018, a midterm year in which 63.05% of voters also used the straight-ticket option.
However, a subtle downward trend has emerged over the last few election cycles. From 2020 to 2024, straight-party voting fell by over 12 percentage points. This decline may suggest that many South Carolinians are splitting their tickets or evaluating candidates more independently rather than voting along strict party lines.
Looking back, straight-ticket voting percentages hovered around 49–50% for most of the 2000s and early 2010s. In 2016, the figure slightly exceeded the halfway mark at 50.42%, but in elections prior—such as in 2012 (48.40%), 2010 (49.43%), and 2008 (49.41%)—it stayed just below.
What It All Means
The fluctuating rates of straight party voting reveal deeper currents within South Carolina's political landscape. Higher rates often correspond with more partisan-driven elections, while dips—like those seen in 2024—may indicate rising voter independence or dissatisfaction with party platforms.
Yet, with more than half of voters still choosing the straight-party option, partisan identity remains a formidable force in South Carolina politics. As the state prepares for the 2026 elections, it will be interesting to see whether the downward trend in straight-party voting persists or if the pull of polarization brings voters back to the straight-party option.
In a state where party affiliation often predicts electoral outcomes, the straight-ticket option remains more than a voting convenience—it reflects how South Carolinians engage with democracy.