South Carolina is an open primary state. Here’s what that means

Former President Trump, who recently won the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are the only major Republican candidates left in the 2024 presidential race. 

Ahead of his New Hampshire primary win, Trump misleadingly claimed the state allows Independents and Democrats to vote in its Republican primary. The state allows only undeclared voters to vote in either party’s presidential primary election.

Now, some people online are wondering who can vote in the upcoming presidential primaries in Haley’s home state of South Carolina. Several social media posts claim that anyone, including Democrats, can vote in the Republican presidential primary. 

Can Democrats in South Carolina vote in the Republican presidential primary?

Yes, Democrats in South Carolina can vote in the Republican primary, but they couldn’t also vote in the Democratic Primary. South Carolina is an open primary state where registered voters can vote in either party’s primary, but not both.

Primaries are elections that political parties use to pick candidates for a general election. Rules for primary election participation vary by state.

South Carolina is an open primary state, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the nonprofit advocacy group Open Primaries say.

Regardless of their personal affiliation, voters in South Carolina don’t actually register to vote with a specific party, according to the state Election Commission and the Greenville County website. Instead, they can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican presidential primary. 

Many other open primary states function similarly, according to the NCSL. 

But people still have to pick only one primary. They can’t vote in both, the South Carolina Election Commission explains.

RELATED: Caucuses and Primaries: 5 Fast Facts

South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. People needed to register to vote by Jan. 4 to vote in the Democratic primary.

The Republican presidential primary falls on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Voters needed to register by Jan. 25 in order to participate in the Republican primary. 

According to the NCSL, these states also have open primaries: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.