Voting Leave Requirements in South Carolina
At a glance
| Governing law | No general private-employer voting-leave statute located; related voter-protection crimes are S.C. Code §§ 7-25-70, 7-25-80 |
|---|---|
| Eligible workers and elections | No statutory employee-leave eligibility; §§ 7-25-70 and 7-25-80 instead protect voters against candidate-directed threats and election-site intimidation |
| Outside-work-hours test | None; South Carolina states no general private-employer voting-leave entitlement |
| Time-off amount | None required by the located statutes |
| Paid or unpaid | No mandatory voting-leave pay under the located statutes |
| When leave is taken | No statutory voting-leave window or scheduling rule |
| Employee notice and employer posting | No voting-leave request deadline, required form, or employer-posting duty stated |
| Protection and penalties | No employment-specific leave protection; procuring a candidate vote by threat or intimidation is a misdemeanor carrying a $100-$500 fine, up to 3 years' imprisonment, or both (§ 7-25-70), while election-site threats, mistreatment, or abuse intended to control or intimidate suffrage are a felony carrying a discretionary fine, up to 10 years, or both (§ 7-25-80) |
No private-sector time-off mandate
The located current South Carolina statutes do not require an ordinary private employer to release an employee from a scheduled shift to vote. They state no leave duration, paid-time rule, outside-work-hours test, employee request procedure, employer scheduling authority, or voting-leave posting duty.
South Carolina's election code addresses coercion instead. Section 7-25-70 makes it a misdemeanor to use threats or another form of intimidation to procure, offer, or promise to endeavor to procure another person's vote for or against a candidate. The punishment is a $100 to $500 fine, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
Section 7-25-80 reaches conduct at a general, special, or primary election. A person who threatens, mistreats, or abuses a voter to control or intimidate the free exercise of suffrage commits a felony punishable by a discretionary fine, up to ten years' imprisonment, or both.
What trips people up
Criminal voter-protection statutes are not voting-leave statutes. Sections 7-25-70 and 7-25-80 may prohibit coercive conduct about a person's vote, but neither requires an employer to interrupt a work shift, continue wages during an absence, or accept a leave request.
The practical ability to vote early also does not itself create workplace leave. Whether an employer voluntarily allows paid or unpaid time remains a matter of employer policy or agreement rather than a general state mandate.
Common questions
Does South Carolina require two paid hours to vote?
No. The located current statutes state no private-sector voting-leave duration or pay requirement.
Is threatening someone to control a vote a crime?
Yes. The applicable classification and punishment depend on whether the conduct falls under § 7-25-70 or the election-site offense in § 7-25-80.
Must an employee give advance notice?
No statutory notice deadline or form exists because South Carolina has no general private-employer voting-leave entitlement.
Statutes and sources
- S.C. Code § 7-25-70: threats or intimidation to procure a vote for or against a candidate — official text (accessed July 13, 2026).
- S.C. Code § 7-25-80: threats, mistreatment, or abuse at an election intended to control or intimidate suffrage — official text (accessed July 13, 2026).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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