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We still await comprehensive election reform. Our recommendation is Gold Standard Elections, and we provide detailed guidelines, processes, and procedures in our white paper, available here and at goldstandardelections.com. However, given that the current electronic system is still in place, we need to provide guidance to monitor and audit our elections. In this video, Gold Standard Election team members Laura Scharr and Rick Weible break down a checklist of action items for candidates, poll watchers/observers, poll workers, and voters. The most important thing that you can do is VOTE. Turnout for your primary and general elections.

1. Candidate checklist

Does the test deck include:

• Every Ballot Type—Ballot on demand, pre-printed, and all barcoded style ballot for in-person voting?Every Ballot Style/Precinct?
• Is a different number of votes assigned to each contest group (every person or question) on the ballot? If any contest has no votes selected, it is an invalid test; i.e., every option for each race must be tested.
• Undervotes?–Instances where the voter didn’t vote for a candidate or for fewer than the required candidates or selections?
• Overvotes? — apply mainly to absentee or hand-marked ballots and occur when the person voted for more people or options than indicated.
• Blank Ballots?  How many? (at least 10)
• Folded ballots? (absentee ballots should be tested as well) This ensures that no folds cross over the ovals
• Write-In votes?
• Unique number of votes cast per candidate/per race?

SC Specific Information for Candidates

Here is a structured, election-administration–level overview of key dates, statutory timing rules, and procedural deadlines for the 2026 South Carolina state primary (June 9, 2026), along with what is fixed statewide vs. varies by county.

Core Election Timeline (2026 SC Primary)

• Primary Election Day: June 9, 2026
• Runoff (if needed): June 23, 2026

Absentee Voting Deadlines

Requesting absentee ballot

• Deadline: May 29, 2026 (5:00 PM)
• Statutory rule:
  • In person: up to 11 days before the election
  • By mail: must be received ~4 days prior to the Emergency absentee voting
• June 5–June 9, 2026 (hospitalized voters) Returning absentee ballots
• Due: June 9, 2026 (by close of polls, 7 PM) must be received by Election Day (not postmarked) except for UOCAVA (+2 days)

Early Voting May 26 – June 5, 2026

Voter Registration

Deadline: May 11, 2026, by mail

Sample Ballots

• Available via the state voter portal (SCVotes) once ballots are finalized.
• Typical timing:

~45–30 days before election, generally late April–mid May 2026

Logic & Accuracy (L&A) Testing (see law below SC Code § 7-13-1390)

• Required before every election AND before and after the count. Public notice requirements 5 days prior to testing. Conducted by county election offices
• Must be:
  • Publicly noticed
  • Open to observers

Timing (typical SC practice)

• 1–3 weeks before early voting begins
• So for the 2026 primary:
  • Likely mid–late May 2026

👉 Exact dates vary by county and are posted locally.

Canvassing & Certification

County Canvass

• Begins immediately after the election
• Must be completed:
  • By Thursday/Friday after the election (~June 12–13, 2026)
    (statutory window: within a few days)

State Canvass (State Election Commission)

• Typically:
  • ~1 week after the election
  • Around June 17–18, 2026

👉 Certification occurs after county reports are finalized.

What happens in canvass

• Provisional ballot adjudication
• Absentee final acceptance/rejection
• Reconciliation:
  • ballots cast vs. voters checked in
• Certification of county results

👉 This is THE key challenge window

Recounts & Challenges

Automatic recount threshold

South Carolina law:

• ≤ 1% margin triggers recount (for many offices)

Types of recounts

• Machine recount (automatic)
• Hand recount (rare, ordered by court)

Protest/contest deadlines

County-level protest

• Filed with the county board:
  • Within 48 hours after the results are declared

Appeal to the state

• Filed with State Election Commission:
  • Shortly after the county decision (tight statutory window)

Judicial challenge

• Filed in court after administrative remedies

👉 These timelines are very compressed (days, not weeks).

Ballot certification

• Occurs after filing closes and challenges are resolved
• Drives:
  • sample ballot release
  • L&A testing prep

Poll Worker Deadlines

• Counties must:
  • Recruit & appoint poll managers
  • Train prior to early voting

Typical timeline:

• Recruitment: March–May
• Final assignments: ~2–3 weeks before the election

Additional Operational Milestones

Absentee ballots sent out

• Federal requirement:
  • 45 days before the election (for military/overseas voters)
• For 2026:
  • ~late April 2026

Ballot printing & distribution

• Late April → early May

🧭 Summary Timeline

Phase	Date (2026)
Candidate filing opens	March 16
Absentee ballots begin mailing	~Late April
Sample ballots available	Late April–May
L&A testing (public)	Mid–late May
Voter registration deadline	May 11
Absentee request deadline	May 29
Early voting	May 26 – June 5
Election Day	June 9
Absentee return deadline	June 9
County canvass	~June 10–13
State certification	~June 17–18
Runoff (if needed)	June 23

2. Poll Observer Checklist

3. Poll Worker Checklist

4. Voter Checklist

The best way to beat a potential cheat is to overwhelm the polls. Here is a related blog post:

How to be an informed voter this year

Here is a video that explains this in more detail.

Here is the SC code for L&A testing and a list of additional questions

 Machine testing SC Code § 7-13-1390*

(a) The election officials of each county shall cause the proper ballot labels to be placed on each vote recorder which is to be used in any election within such county and shall cause each vote recorder to be placed in proper order for voting.

(b) The election officials of each county shall appoint one custodian of vote recorders, and such deputy custodians as may be necessary, whose duty it shall be to prepare the vote recorders to be used in county elections. Each custodian and deputy custodian shall receive such compensation as provided for in the annual county appropriation. Such custodian shall, under the direction of the county election officials, have charge of and represent them during the preparation of the vote recorders as required by this article, and he and the deputy custodians, whose duty it shall be to assist him in the discharge of his duties, shall serve at the pleasure of the county election officials.

(c) On or before the third day preceding an election, the county election officials shall have the tabulating machines tested to ascertain that they will correctly count the votes cast for all offices and on all questions. Public notice of the time and place of the test shall be made at least five days prior thereto. Representatives of political parties and bodies, candidates, news media and the public shall be permitted to observe such tests. The test shall be conducted by processing a pre-audited group of ballot cards clearly marked for such purpose, not to exceed fifty for each candidate or question, so punched or marked as to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each question, and shall include for each office one or more ballot cards which have votes in excess of or less than the number allowed by law in order to test the ability of the tabulating machine to reject such votes. The tabulating machine shall not be approved unless it produces an errorless counting. If any error is detected, the cause therefor shall be ascertained and corrected, and an errorless count shall be made before the machine is approved. The same test shall be repeated immediately before the start of the official count of the ballot cards and at the conclusion of such count. The county election officials or custodian shall also prepare the vote recorders for voting at the various polling places to be used in the election. In preparing the vote recorders, they shall arrange the recorders and the ballot labels so that they meet all requirements of voting and counting at such primary or election, thoroughly inspect and test the vote recorders, and file a certificate, as prescribed by the State Election Commission, in the office of the county election officials that the recorders are in proper order with correct ballot labels.

(d) Prior to the election, no county election officials, nor custodian, nor other employee shall in any way prevent free access to and examination of all voting machines which are to be used at the election under proper supervision and, at reasonable times, by any interested persons.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 23-400.109; 1970 (56) 2022.

Laura Scharr and Julie Baker traveled to Simsonville to address the following issues regarding elections:

1. Julie spoke about why we cannot use electronic, mobile, internet, blockchain, or lottery-style voting systems.
2. Since electronic voting is not trustworthy and can be infiltrated by nefarious actors to cheat at scale, Laura described the path we do need to take — the Gold Standard for elections.
3. We then demonstrated our Gold Standard Tally method, and the whole room participated. We then broke people up into a few tables to practice on their own.

The only way we fix our elections and maintain our republic is through a National Emergency Authorization for federal elections that bans electronic voting and moves to a decentralized, locally controlled system controlled by the people.

If our votes don’t count accurately, we’ve lost the very soul of our Republic. That’s why on Thursday—February 26, 2026—we gathered at the State House with passionate patriots from every corner of our state, Congressman Ralph Norman, Attorney General candidate David Pascoe, and State Representative Rob Harris to demand better.

We’re not just complaining—we’re offering solutions. The current system falls short: black-box electronic machines owned by opaque corporations hide how votes are counted. Voters can’t see, verify, or trust the process. National polls show nearly two-thirds of Americans worry these machines could be hacked or manipulated remotely. In South Carolina, limited observer access, weak chain of custody, unattended machines, and inaccessible audit data only fuel the distrust.

But doubt doesn’t have to win. Momentum is building for real change. We presented our vision: the Gold Standard Elections Act (H.4295), a proven path to secure, transparent, verifiable, and accessible elections for eligible voters only.

Key pillars of the Gold Standard:

• Strict government-issued photo ID with no exceptions
• Citizenship-only registration and voting
• Hand-marked paper ballots—no computers or machines
• Hand-counting at the precinct level using our efficient, tested GS Tally method (cheaper than machines, finished by midnight!)
• Clean voter rolls, small precincts (max 1,500 voters), paper poll books
• Minimal mail-in ballots (military, overseas, legitimate absentees only)
• One Election Day

South Carolina can lead the South—and the nation—by passing H.4295. When every vote is counted publicly and verifiably, confidence returns, turnout rises, and our Republic thrives.

Watch the full press conference video here:

This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about providing elections for the people by the people. Join us. Contact your legislators. Demand the Gold Standard. Together, let’s make South Carolina the beacon of election excellence.

Thank you for standing with us. Our best days are ahead when our citizens have confidence that their vote counts.

Written by: Laura Downing, Hugh Penri-Williams, CFE, Laura Scharr, Julie Baker

The summary below was written for Oconnee County, but it applies to the rest of South Carolina.

As you can see, the process is complex, involving many people, electronics, and procedures that are neither transparent nor auditable to the people.

Congress is responding to calls for greater election integrity and has recently introduced two bills that would revolutionize federal elections.

The SAVE Act, which was passed in May of 2025, was revised to add Voter ID requirements for voting, and reintroduced on 1-29-26. In addition, the Make Elections Great Again Act was introduced on 1-29-26 and codifies similar provisions for proof of citizenship and Voter ID, while also addressing other measures to reduce potential election mail fraud.

Here is a summary of both bills and our take on them.

Congress must pass the SAVE Act ASAP, and if the MEGA bill can be amended, that would be a good step forward in securing elections. Ideally, we must move to the gold standard of elections.

In other words, we must get rid of electronic voting systems! Here is why.

Here is a video that summarizes the two bills, and a chart below that provides a quick reference for their basic components.

	Save Amerca Act	MEGA Act
Election Integrity Bills	Save America Act “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act” 1-29-26 introduction   Effective upon enactment	Requires that non-citizens be removed from voter rolls using the DHS SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) system, the Social Security Administration, and State IDs that confirm citizenship status; must comply with federal requests for information to ascertain citizenship
Voter rolls/Database sharing	Preservation of records to include audit records, certification records, chain of custody, incident reports, reconciliation records, return envelopes, tabulation reports, tech records, and vote-by-mail records.	State shall match voter registration data to Motor vehicle data, Motor Vehicle shall match with Social Security data, and State shall receive data from AG for felonies/etc. DHS on citizenship records.   May use the SAVE system to confirm citizenship. DHS shall conduct investigations to determine removal from lists if unlawfully registered in States, and AG shall share info of potential fraud with
Citizenship to register	Must have proof of citizenship when registering to vote	Must have proof of citizenship when registering to vote
Documentary proof	Required to vote in person for federal election. Absentee voting- must include a copy of an eligible photo ID with the request and submission of the ballot	Include documentary proof of citizenship plus last 4 of the SS# and current valid DL or documentary proof of residence in the state   If no SS# a unique identifying voter number will be assigned applicant may sign attestation under penalty of perjury with an affidavit.
Removal of noncitizens	Upon receipt of documentation that the registrant is a noncitizen
Photo ID	US passport, REAL ID, US Military ID, valid government-issued photo card showing place of birth in the US, government-issued valid photo ID with birth certificate. Must provide a sworn affidavit if you have no proof, and provide other evidence that sufficiently establishes citizenship.	Each state shall at least every 30 days verify eligibility of registrants through all state resources and the SAVE system and remove those who are ineligible by reason of 1) request 2) criminal conviction or mental incapacity pursuant to state law 3) death 4) change in residence 5) citizenship status 6) duplicate registrant States shall remove names of ineligible no later than 15 days prior to each general election.   Requires applicants for motor vehicle driver’s licenses in a new state to indicate whether that state is their residence for voting purposes.   Citizenship should be indicated on drivers’ licenses   There must be a notification to state election officials of those who were recused from jury duty due to non-citizenship
Other	Must provide to vote in person, the vote is provisional, but allows a religious objection affidavit. Other than in person, you must submit a copy of a valid photo ID with the ballot or the last four digits of your SS# and an affidavit. Exceptions: active duty absent uniformed services voter who is absent from the US on the date of the election; Disabled or Elderly	Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) at DMVs—where eligible citizens are registered unless they opt out—would be severely limited or gutted in practice, as people would need to present citizenship documents during routine DMV visits, which most don’t bring for license renewals or address changes.   The bill amends Section 5 of the NVRA to make DMV license applications subject to the new citizenship proof rules, meaning states can’t process voter registration through DMV without that proof.
Record retention requirements		Ballots must be voter-verifiable (NEED TO include amendment that differentiates between a true “paper ballot” and a “Ballot Summary Card”
Abolished barcode tracking for Mail-in Ballots		The requirement is for voter-verifiable paper ballots that allow the use of ballot-marking devices but also provide the option to manually mark each ballot at every in-person location.   Can be counted manually, OR by a counting device, OR read by a ballot tabulator. The paper that comes out of a BMD is a ballot summary card. NOT a paper ballot
Ranked Choice Voting		Prohibited
Make Elections Great Again. Introduced 1-29-26. Applies to elections held in 2027 and beyond		Must provide to vote in person, the vote is provisional, but allows a religious objection affidavit. Other than in person, must submit a copy of a valid photo ID with the ballot or the last four digits of SS# and an affidavit. Exceptions: active duty absent uniformed services voter who is absent from the US on the date of the election; Disabled or Elderly
Universal Mail-in Voting		Ballots received by Election Day

This week, both the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee and House Judiciary Committee held important discussions on election-related legislation.

Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration (S. 128):

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on S. 128, South Carolina’s SAVE Act equivalent. Sponsored by Senator Michael Johnson (R-York), the bill requires satisfactory proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a driver’s license indicating citizenship, passport, birth certificate, or other approved documents—when registering to vote in state elections.

This directly supports the 2024 constitutional amendment (overwhelmingly passed by voters) that restricts voting in South Carolina elections to U.S. citizens only. The bill adds enforceable protocols to ensure voter registration complies with this mandate.

After discussion and testimony, the committee carried the bill over. Senator Thompson intends to propose minor amendments to address any potential constitutional issues and position it for stronger passage moving forward.

Closing Primaries: Bills H. 3643 and H. 3310:

In the House Judiciary Committee, a packed hearing addressed H. 3643 and H. 3310, which seek to close partisan primaries by limiting participation to voters registered with the respective party (or declaring independent status).

The discussion drew strong public turnout and passionate testimony. Supporters highlighted that taxpayer-funded primaries should reflect party members’ choices, free from interference from outsiders. Critics raised concerns about forcing people to choose affiliations or advocated alternatives such as party conventions.

Rep. Brandon Newton noted early on the major obstacles:

1. The Governor has signaled he would veto the bills.
2. The Senate appears uninterested in pursuing them this session.
3. Deep divisions persist within the Republican Party on the issue.

Committee Chair Jay Jordan recognized the range of views expressed and stressed the importance of reconciliation, revisions, and building a broader consensus before any advancement. It looks like closed primary legislation is dead for this session.

These hearings underscore the active debates around election security and party rules in South Carolina. We will continue to track progress and share more as things develop—whether through committee action, floor votes, or public input opportunities. Your voice continues to play a key role!