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 County Results
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The1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 2, 1976. All 50 states and theDistrict of Columbia were part of the1976 United States presidential election. South Carolina voters chose eight electors to theElectoral College, who voted forpresident andvice president. Despite fluctuating polls, Carter would carry South Carolina by a margin of 13.04 points over Ford.[1]
Ford managed to carry just three of South Carolina's counties, whereasRichard Nixon had carried all 46 counties four years earlier. As of the2024 presidential election[update], this is the last time that the Democratic nominee carried South Carolina, the last time a Democrat wonHorry,Spartanburg,Berkeley,Beaufort,Dorchester,Florence,Pickens,Kershaw, andNewberry,[2] and the last time a Democrat swept every congressional district in the state.
Both major party nominees,Democrat formerGeorgia GovernorJimmy Carter, with running mateWalter Mondale, andRepublican President Gerald Ford with running mate Senator Bob Dole, campaigned in the state during the fall campaign. Ford did not target the state in late September at the beginning of his re-election campaign,[3] but did visitColumbia in late October as polling day approached, when he was joined by Carter two days subsequently.[4] After Ford’s visit, it was said he was not a factor in South Carolina and that the election hinged on approval or disapproval of Carter.[5] Carter himself campaigned more extensively with his eldest son Jack working inthe Sixth Congressional District, and other members of his “Peanut Brigade” touring most major population centers.[6]
Among white voters, 55% supported Ford while 44% supported Carter.[7][8]
| Source | Rating | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Atlanta Constitution[9] | Lean R | September 13, 1976 |
| The Charlotte Observer[10] | Likely D(flip) | October 19, 1976 |
| The Times and Democrat[11] | Tilt D(flip) | October 26, 1976 |
| Kansas City Times[12] | Lean D(flip) | October 26, 1976 |
| Daily News[13] | Tossup | October 27, 1976 |
| Sun Herald[14] | Likely D(flip) | October 31, 1976 |
| Austin American-Statesman[15] | Tossup | October 31, 1976 |
| 1976 United States presidential election in South Carolina[1] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Jimmy Carter | 450,825 | 56.17% | 8 | |
| Republican | Gerald Ford (incumbent) | 346,140 | 43.13% | 0 | |
| Independent | Thomas Anderson | 2,997 | 0.37% | 0 | |
| American | Lester Maddox | 1,951 | 0.24% | 0 | |
| Write-ins | Write-ins | 681[a] | 0.08% | 0 | |
| Totals | 802,594 | 99.99% | 8 | ||
| Voter turnout | – | ||||
| County[16] | Jimmy Carter Democratic | Gerald Ford Republican | Thomas Anderson Independent | Lester Maddox American | Margin | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Abbeville | 4,700 | 72.06% | 1,791 | 27.46% | 19 | 0.29% | 12 | 0.18% | 2,909 | 44.60% | 6,522 |
| Aiken | 14,927 | 47.88% | 16,011 | 51.36% | 80 | 0.26% | 155 | 0.50% | -1,084 | -3.48% | 31,173 |
| Allendale | 2,634 | 71.02% | 1,064 | 28.69% | 4 | 0.11% | 7 | 0.19% | 1,570 | 42.33% | 3,709 |
| Anderson | 19,002 | 66.32% | 9,496 | 33.14% | 96 | 0.34% | 60 | 0.21% | 9,506 | 33.18% | 28,654 |
| Bamberg | 3,330 | 63.84% | 1,849 | 35.45% | 19 | 0.36% | 18 | 0.35% | 1,481 | 28.39% | 5,216 |
| Barnwell | 4,083 | 61.38% | 2,569 | 38.62% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,514 | 22.76% | 6,652 |
| Beaufort | 6,049 | 50.29% | 5,935 | 49.34% | 25 | 0.21% | 20 | 0.17% | 114 | 0.95% | 12,029 |
| Berkeley | 9,741 | 58.05% | 6,981 | 41.60% | 27 | 0.16% | 32 | 0.19% | 2,760 | 16.45% | 16,781 |
| Calhoun | 2,055 | 59.29% | 1,382 | 39.87% | 22 | 0.63% | 7 | 0.20% | 673 | 19.42% | 3,466 |
| Charleston | 34,328 | 49.64% | 34,010 | 49.18% | 445 | 0.64% | 372 | 0.54% | 318 | 0.46% | 69,155 |
| Cherokee | 7,765 | 66.19% | 3,931 | 33.51% | 17 | 0.14% | 19 | 0.16% | 3,834 | 32.68% | 11,732 |
| Chester | 5,200 | 63.32% | 2,982 | 36.31% | 18 | 0.22% | 12 | 0.15% | 2,218 | 27.01% | 8,212 |
| Chesterfield | 7,687 | 75.04% | 2,537 | 24.77% | 11 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.09% | 5,150 | 50.27% | 10,244 |
| Clarendon | 5,489 | 64.13% | 3,040 | 35.52% | 14 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.19% | 2,449 | 28.61% | 8,559 |
| Colleton | 5,134 | 60.24% | 3,324 | 39.00% | 34 | 0.40% | 30 | 0.35% | 1,810 | 21.24% | 8,522 |
| Darlington | 10,165 | 60.16% | 6,678 | 39.52% | 26 | 0.15% | 28 | 0.17% | 3,487 | 20.64% | 16,897 |
| Dillon | 5,089 | 66.62% | 2,527 | 33.08% | 10 | 0.13% | 13 | 0.17% | 2,562 | 33.54% | 7,639 |
| Dorchester | 8,046 | 54.44% | 6,695 | 45.30% | 19 | 0.13% | 19 | 0.13% | 1,351 | 9.14% | 14,779 |
| Edgefield | 3,216 | 62.60% | 1,879 | 36.58% | 17 | 0.33% | 25 | 0.49% | 1,337 | 26.02% | 5,137 |
| Fairfield | 4,153 | 69.36% | 1,817 | 30.34% | 11 | 0.18% | 7 | 0.12% | 2,336 | 39.02% | 5,988 |
| Florence | 16,294 | 54.49% | 13,539 | 45.27% | 27 | 0.09% | 44 | 0.15% | 2,755 | 9.22% | 29,904 |
| Georgetown | 7,169 | 63.54% | 4,058 | 35.97% | 34 | 0.30% | 22 | 0.19% | 3,111 | 27.57% | 11,283 |
| Greenville | 35,943 | 47.31% | 39,099 | 51.46% | 796 | 1.05% | 143 | 0.19% | -3,156 | -4.15% | 75,981 |
| Greenwood | 9,976 | 62.39% | 5,974 | 37.36% | 17 | 0.11% | 24 | 0.15% | 4,002 | 25.03% | 15,991 |
| Hampton | 3,923 | 68.56% | 1,773 | 30.99% | 11 | 0.19% | 15 | 0.26% | 2,150 | 37.57% | 5,722 |
| Horry | 15,720 | 62.59% | 9,339 | 37.18% | 15 | 0.06% | 43 | 0.17% | 6,381 | 25.41% | 25,117 |
| Jasper | 2,903 | 70.12% | 1,221 | 29.49% | 6 | 0.14% | 10 | 0.24% | 1,682 | 40.63% | 4,140 |
| Kershaw | 6,211 | 50.08% | 6,126 | 49.40% | 36 | 0.29% | 29 | 0.23% | 85 | 0.68% | 12,402 |
| Lancaster | 8,324 | 62.19% | 4,997 | 37.33% | 37 | 0.28% | 27 | 0.20% | 3,327 | 24.86% | 13,385 |
| Laurens | 7,440 | 57.98% | 5,300 | 41.31% | 54 | 0.42% | 37 | 0.29% | 2,140 | 16.67% | 12,831 |
| Lee | 3,869 | 61.86% | 2,357 | 37.69% | 12 | 0.19% | 16 | 0.26% | 1,512 | 24.17% | 6,254 |
| Lexington | 14,339 | 39.75% | 21,442 | 59.43% | 183 | 0.51% | 113 | 0.31% | -7,103 | -19.68% | 36,077 |
| Marion | 5,927 | 65.74% | 3,076 | 34.12% | 7 | 0.08% | 6 | 0.07% | 2,851 | 31.62% | 9,016 |
| Marlboro | 5,409 | 73.32% | 1,961 | 26.58% | 2 | 0.03% | 5 | 0.07% | 3,448 | 46.74% | 7,377 |
| McCormick | 1,774 | 73.09% | 640 | 26.37% | 5 | 0.21% | 8 | 0.33% | 1,134 | 46.72% | 2,427 |
| Newberry | 5,034 | 50.26% | 4,931 | 49.23% | 24 | 0.24% | 27 | 0.27% | 103 | 1.03% | 10,016 |
| Oconee | 8,447 | 68.61% | 3,805 | 30.90% | 41 | 0.33% | 19 | 0.15% | 4,642 | 37.71% | 12,312 |
| Orangeburg | 13,652 | 60.40% | 8,794 | 38.90% | 108 | 0.48% | 50 | 0.22% | 4,858 | 21.50% | 22,604 |
| Pickens | 8,505 | 51.07% | 8,029 | 48.21% | 95 | 0.57% | 26 | 0.16% | 476 | 2.86% | 16,655 |
| Richland | 36,855 | 52.68% | 32,727 | 46.78% | 211 | 0.30% | 169 | 0.24% | 4,128 | 5.90% | 69,962 |
| Saluda | 2,715 | 56.11% | 2,085 | 43.09% | 25 | 0.52% | 14 | 0.29% | 630 | 13.02% | 4,839 |
| Spartanburg | 27,925 | 57.32% | 20,456 | 41.99% | 223 | 0.46% | 113 | 0.23% | 7,469 | 15.33% | 48,717 |
| Sumter | 10,471 | 52.59% | 9,332 | 46.87% | 56 | 0.28% | 53 | 0.27% | 1,139 | 5.72% | 19,912 |
| Union | 6,363 | 64.51% | 3,463 | 35.11% | 13 | 0.13% | 24 | 0.24% | 2,900 | 29.40% | 9,863 |
| Williamsburg | 8,745 | 62.22% | 5,275 | 37.53% | 10 | 0.07% | 25 | 0.18% | 3,470 | 24.69% | 14,055 |
| York | 14,099 | 58.73% | 9,843 | 41.00% | 35 | 0.15% | 28 | 0.12% | 4,256 | 17.73% | 24,005 |
| Totals | 450,825 | 56.17% | 346,140 | 43.13% | 2,997 | 0.37% | 1,951 | 0.24% | 104,685 | 13.04% | 802,594 |
State and district results of the1976 United States presidential election | ||
|---|---|---|
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