First in the Nation Presidential Primary!
South Carolina Democrats now have the exciting honor of holding the First in the Nation 2024 Democratic Presidential Primary. We’ve earned this distinction through a multi-decade history of high-turnout and well-run primaries with an electorate that reflects the national Democratic Party, and results that produce nominees – for the past 36 years, the winner of the SC Democratic Primary ended up on the national ticket.
It is critically important for SC Democrats that we live up to this responsibility and are actively engaged with our party and in our Primary. To do that, there are already some key things you need to know:
Voter Registration Deadline: Thursday Jan 4. Anyone who will be 18 years old by the general election on November 5, 2024 is eligible to register and vote NOW. Yes, that means 17 year-olds can register and vote in this primary if they will turn 18 on or before November 5th 2024. Register to vote at SCvotes.org!
Early Voting: 8:30am-6:00pm Monday Jan 22 – Friday Feb 2(except CLOSED Sunday Jan 28). Three Charleston County locations available:
- Charleston County Board of Elections (4340 Corporate Rd. North Charleston, SC 29405)
- Essex Village Church of Christ (736 Savage Rd Charleston, SC 29414)
- Wando Library (1400 Carolina Park Blvd Mount Pleasant, SC 29466)
Primary Day: 7:00am-7:00pm Saturday Feb 3. Have the privilege of being the first voters in the country to begin the 2024 election cycle, stop Donald Trump once and for all, and send the Biden-Harris administration back to Washington for another 4 years!
- Confirm your voter registration is up-to-date at SCvotes.org.
- Vote at your regular polling location (find & confirm it here)
Get involved: TODAY! Be sure that you’re on our volunteer & email list as we organize events and activities leading up to the Primary.
State House District 109 Special Election
In addition to the Presidential Primary, some Charleston County Democrats will have a Democratic Primary for the Special Election in State House District 109 (portions of North Charleston along Dorchester Road – View Map HERE).
This seat was formerly held by now-State Senator Deon Tedder and the Special Election was triggered by his election to State Senate District 42 in November. Two Democrats have filed for the January 30 primary:
- Eduardo Curry II (www.eduardocurryii.com)
- Tiffany Spann-Wilder (www.spannwilder4sc109.com)
Election Day voting for the House 109 Primary will be 7am-7pm on Tuesday January 30th at your regular polling location
Early Voting for the House 109 Primary will be Jan 16-26, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm, at the County Election Headquarters (4340 Corporate Rd. North Charleston 29405).
The winner of this primary will be the Democratic nominee in the (currently uncontested) April 2nd special election.
***Unfortunately, even though the dates, times, and early voting periods for this election are very similar to those of the Presidential Primary, state law prevents the two elections from appearing on the same ballot. So, Democratic Primary voters in House District 109 will have to vote two separate times between January 16 and February 3. Once in the State House Primary, and once in the Presidential Primary.
Key Upcoming Events!
As you can imagine, there are MANY events planned and in the works for this month related to the Presidential Primary, Special Election, MLK Day, and kicking off the new year. We are going to depart from our typical format to give you the quickest and most complete rundown possible:
Also, we will send several more reminders throughout the month as more events are added and key dates approach (you can also always check our website calendar for the most up-to-date information). We’re excited to see yall out helping build the Democratic Party at each of these!
Local Democratic Party Meetings & Events:
Jan 5: SC Women for Biden-Harris Meet & Greet with PA State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. 6:00-7:30pm. Starlight Motor Inn – 3245 Rivers Ave. North Charleston 29405.
Jan 6: Presidential Primary Turnout Phone Bank with PA State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. 1:00-3:00pm. CCDP Office – 1379 Ashley River Rd. Charleston 29407. RSVP Here!
Jan 8: Charleston County Democratic Women 2024 Kickoff. 6:00-7:30pm. Mellow Mushroom – 19 Magnolia Rd. Charleston 29407. RSVP Here!
Jan 15: Charleston Dems March in MLK Day Parade. 8:30am-12:30pm. Burke High School – 244 President St. Charleston 29403. RSVP Here!
Jan 18: Charleston County Democratic Party Monthly Meeting. 6:30-7:30pm. CCDP Office – 1379 Ashley River Rd. Charleston 29407. RSVP Here!
Jan 20: SC Women for Biden-Harris House Party. 5:00-7:00pm. Exact location provided upon RSVP – Johns Island 29455. RSVP Here!
Jan 22: James Island Folly Beach Democrats 2024 Kickoff. 6:30-8:00pm. First Baptist Church of James Island – 1110 Camp Rd. Charleston 29412. RSVP Here!
[More Events to be Announced throughout January 2024]
Other Community Outreach:
Jan 6: AFFA LGBTQ+ Advocacy Training Program. 10:00am-12:00pm. Venture X – 4900 O’Hear Ave. North Charleston 29405. RSVP Here!
Jan 14: Martin Luther King Jr. Ecumenical Service. 4:00pm-6:00pm. Charity Missionary Baptist Church – 1544 East Montague Ave. North Charleston 29405.
Key Election Dates:
Jan 4: Democratic Presidential Primary Voter Registration Deadline. Register online here: https://scvotes.gov/voters/register-to-vote/
Jan 16-Jan 26: House District 109 Special Election Early Voting. 8:30am-5:00pm. Monday-Friday. 4340 Corporate Rd., North Charleston, 29405.
Jan 22-Feb 2: Presidential Primary Early Voting. 8:30am-6:00pm Monday-Saturday. 3 Locations: Charleston County Board of Elections (North Charleston), Essex Village Church of Christ (West Ashley), Wando Library (Mt. Pleasant).
Jan 30: House District 109 Special Election Primary Day. 7:00am-7:00pm. Your regular polling location (House District 109 only).
Feb 3: First in the Nation Presidential Primary Day. 7:00am-7:00pm. Your regular polling location (Statewide).
Stay Current on Charleston County Democratic Happenings!
As a reminder, this full newsletter is now being published monthly on the 1st of every month (apologies this one was a few days late), but there are several other ways to stay up-to-date on news, events, and other information in-between newsletters:
- Follow our Facebook page.
- Regularly check the Calendar and News pages on our website.
- Search for Charleston County Democratic Party events on Mobilize.
- We will still send ad-hoc email event reminders and action alerts as necessary throughout each month.
