Who won South Carolina in the 1976 presidential election?

Carter (Democratic) carried South Carolina in 1976, winning its 8 electoral votes.

How many electoral votes did South Carolina have in 1976?

South Carolina cast 8 electoral votes in the 1976 presidential election.

Did South Carolina vote for the national winner in 1976?

Yes. South Carolina backed Jimmy Carter, who won the presidency that year.

Cold War RealignmentSC · 8 EV

1976

South Carolina: Carter carries 8 EV.

South Carolina cast its 8 electoral votes for Carter (Democratic). National winner: Jimmy Carter (Democratic) — South Carolina voted with the national winner this cycle.

Reading the 1976 result in South Carolina

South Carolina backed Carter (Democratic) in the 1976 presidential election, casting 8 electoral votes for the ticket. That placed South Carolina with the eventual winner: Jimmy Carter went on to take the presidency, and South Carolina was part of his column.

The result flipped South Carolina away from the Republican ticket it had backed in each of the previous 3 cycles. South Carolina did not move alone — neighboring Georgia and North Carolina broke the same way in 1976. Over its 59 recorded presidential cycles, South Carolina has backed the Democratic party more than any other — 28 times in all. The vote fell within the Cold War Realignment — Nixon, Reagan, and the Republican South.

Nationally, Jimmy Carter finished with 297 of the 538 electoral votes to Gerald Ford's 240. Jimmy Carter led the national popular vote with 50.08% of the ballots cast.

The 1976 national map

South Carolina full history →