Who, when and where: Quick voter guide for SC primaries

South Carolina voters only have a little more than a day to decide where they want their vote to go.

If one of a half-dozen Republicans seeking the White House excites you, Saturday is the deadline for casting a ballot in the GOP primary. If you’re more interested in Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, you have another week to make up your mind. And if you’re one of the few voters split between both parties, you’re really running out of time to make up your mind.

Here’s the rundown on when, where and why South Carolina votes over the next week.

Can I vote?

All registered voters in South Carolina are eligible to vote in South Carolina’s presidential primaries, but you have to already have your registration card.

South Carolina requires voters to be registered 30 days before an election. That caused some confusion last month, when the state initially required voters in either primary to register by Jan. 27, but then set a Jan. 20 deadline for voters in the earlier GOP primary. Only voters who were registered by that date can vote in the Republican primary, or by the 27th in the Democratic one.

OK, I’m registered. When can I vote?

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Check scvotes.org to find your precinct.

Do I have to belong to a party to vote?

No. Voters in South Carolina don’t register by party, so any registered voter can cast their ballot in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

Can I vote in both primaries?

No. While voters can vote in either party’s primary, they can only vote in one. Anyone who votes in the Republican primary on Saturday won’t be able to vote in the Democratic primary next week.

Wait, why are they on different days?

Even though the state – and taxpayers – will pay for both primaries, they are organized separately by the two parties, which set the dates.

In the Democratic field, South Carolina’s Feb. 27 primary will follow the party’s Nevada caucuses on Saturday. Republicans in Nevada will caucus on Tuesday.

In 2008, Nevada’s delegate contest was moved up to follow Iowa and New Hampshire in the electoral calendar, ahead of South Carolina Democrats’ choice that year, because the party wanted the West – especially with Nevada’s large number of Hispanic voters – to be represented early in the primary process.

What exactly are we voting for?

Delegates chosen by the two primaries will represent South Carolina at the party conventions this summer. Republicans will gather in Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-21 to choose their presidential candidate. Democrats will meet July 25-28 in Philadelphia.

South Carolina’s pledged delegates – pledged to a particular presidential candidate – will be allocated based on statewide vote totals and totals in each congressional district.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Who, when and where: Quick voter guide for SC primaries."