South Carolina’s Candidate Filing Period is Here

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by MARK POWELL

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The Palmetto political version of March Madness is at long last upon us…

The filing window to run for federal, state, or local office on a partisan ballot in South Carolina officially opens at noon today (Monday, March 16, 2026). Coincidentally, tipoff for the actual NCAA March Madness tournament is set for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 17, 2026).

Over the next two weeks, incumbent officials seeking reelection – and candidates challenging them – will be submitting paperwork and a check (in some cases, a hefty one) to formally throw their hats in the ring for any number of offices across the Palmetto State.

Federal, state, and multi-county candidates must file at the S.C. State Election Comission (SCVotes) headquarters in downtown Columbia, S.C. Meanwhile, state representatives have the option of going to either SCVotes’ headquarters or the board of voter registration and elections in the county where they live. County office seekers file with their county election board.

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The process is a rite of political passage. It’s also the moment a candidacy becomes cast-in-stone. For instance, anyone can announce they’ll be running for a particular office months in advance – only to have a change of heart when things get real. Once the paperwork is submitted, though, a campaign is official.

Political tradition comes into play, too. Some candidates bring along their spouse/kids and pose for photos in front of the ubiquitous “I Filed” logo. These pictures are then shared across social media platforms with various kickoff messages.

The filing period also provides us with concrete political intelligence – with electoral hopefuls finally fully aware of who they will be facing off against in the June primary elections. Will candidates drop out? Or, more worrisome, will an unexpected rival emerge out of the blue? An adversary no one saw coming?

“When I was working with campaigns, I never drew an easy breath until the filing window closed,” a former South Carolina political operative told us. “Because you never know when you’ll be blindsided by a curveball, someone coming out of the woodwork that nobody had anticipated. That throws your entire campaign strategy out of the window, and you have to overhaul and update it to address the new challenger.”

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So, what must candidates bring and/or submit with them to file? Several things:

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• Identification: You not only have to show ID to vote in South Carolina, but candidates must also show it so others can vote for them.
• Statement of Intent: It’s a document formally spelling out that someone is running for a specific office.
• Ethics Filings: That’s the mundane paperwork of campaign disclosure reports and the statement of economic interests.
• Party Pledge: A public statement affirming that the candidate affiliates with the political party on whose ballot his or her name will appear. 
• Filing Fee: Generally, a check is made payable to the candidate’s party. And the amount can be considerable. A shot at serving in the state House costs $208; for the state Senate, it’s $416. Running for Congress will set you back about $3,480; governor is around $4,243, and for the U.S. Senate — hold on to your wallet — it’s a whopping $10,440.

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The filing window slams shut exactly two weeks later at noon on Monday, March 30. Once the field is set, election workers can begin preparing the ballots for the state primary election on Tuesday, June 9.

If all this sounds complicated, it’s really not. In fact, South Carolina’s filing process is relatively streamlined compared to other states. Elsewhere, the filing tradition sometimes takes on a life of its own. In one state, the custom bordered on the absurd.

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In Missouri, the filing window for the Show Me State’s August primary is in February. For many decades, the names of candidates for each office appeared on the ballot in the order in which candidacies were filed. In other words, first-come, first-served. That resulted in an almost surreal experience in Jefferson City every election year. Candidates literally lined up in the hallway outside the Secretary of State’s office well in advance to make sure their name appeared before their opponents. It took on a life of its own, resembling teenagers camping on the sidewalk outside an auditorium waiting for tickets to a big rock concert to go on sale.

Things reached the height of ridiculousness in February 1980 when relatives of future governor Mel Carnahan slept in the hall for five days to assure his was the first name on the Democratic ballot for state treasurer.

Mercifully for Missouri politicians, the state law was tweaked in 1998. A lottery is now held for all candidates who filed on opening day to determine who gets the coveted first spot. All others still appear in the order in which they filed. That has cut down on the pre-filing antics somewhat… but not much.

Thankfully, Palmetto candidates will have a much easier time of it over the coming fortnight. They just need to remember to bring their driver’s license with them and leave the sleeping bag at home.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.

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