The list of candidates on a Primary ballot is determined based on whether there were two or more candidates, from the same party, who filed to run for the same office before the filing deadline. An example of this is the current list of five Democratic candidates running to unseat Henry McMaster as South Carolina governor. Only one can advance to the November ballot.
Voters go to the polls and vote in the Primary of their party to say who they think should be on the November ballot for each office where there is more than one candidate to choose from. Voters do not see all candidates running for every office on a Primary ballot. They only see all the candidates from their party who are running for the same office. Voters then choose which candidate they want to see challenge the opposing party in November.
You will never see a Primary ballot with only one candidate listed for an office. If only one candidate filed to run before the Primary deadline, they are automatically put on the November ballot.
If your Primary ballot does not have the name of a Democratic candidate running to represent your district in Columbia or for a local office, it means only one candidate filed and you will see their name in November, or there is no Democratic candidate for that district or local office and the GOP has no Democratic challenger in November.
If you are unsure of your state or local district, go to scvotes.gov and check your voter registration.
June 14 Primary Ballots
All June 14 Democratic Primary ballots throughout Horry County will have these names for State and Federal offices:
Governor: Carlton Boyd, Joe Cunningham, Mia S. McLeod, Calvin CJ Mack McMillan, William H. Williams.
State Superintendent of Education: Gary L. Burgess, Lisa Ellis, Jerry Govan
US Senate: Catherine Fleming Bruce, Angela Geter, Krystle Matthews
Only those voting in SC District 55 have multiple candidates listed for SC House. Their choices are: Jamal Campbell and Jackie E. Hayes.
If you do not live within District 55, you will only see the above candidates for State and Federal offices on your ballot.
Whoever wins against their Democratic opponent(s) in the Primary will now be on the November ballot.
November 8 Election Ballots
These are the candidates who will be on the November ballot along with the winners from the Primary election. You will not see these names on any Primary ballot as they had no Democratic opponents.
All ballots will have the following Democratic candidates:
US Congressional District 7: will have Daryl W. Scott and SC Secretary of State Peggy Butler
District 57: will have SC House candidate Lucas Atkinson
District 61: will have SC House candidate Ashlyn Preaux
District 68: will have SC House candidate Ernest Carson
District 103: will have SC House candidate Carl Anderson
District 106: will have SC House candidate Ryan Thompson
Horry County District 7 Board of Education: will have Janet P. Graham
If you do not live in any of the above districts or District 55, you will only see the Democratic Candidates for State and Federal offices on the November ballot.
As you can see, we need more candidates to run for office so we all have multiple options in the Primaries and every office with a Democratic candidate on November ballots every election year.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to run in the future for local, state or federal office in Horry County, please contact the HCDP office at (843)488-4237.
