| Election Name: | 1996 United States presidential election in South Carolina |
| Country: | South Carolina |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1992 United States presidential election in South Carolina |
| Previous Year: | 1992 |
| Next Election: | 2000 United States presidential election in South Carolina |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1996 |
| Turnout: | 42% (VAP)[1] |
| Image1: | Ks 1996 dole (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Bob Dole |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Home State1: | Kansas |
| Running Mate1: | Jack Kemp |
| Electoral Vote1: | 8 |
| Popular Vote1: | 573,458 |
| Percentage1: | 49.89% |
| Nominee2: | Bill Clinton |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home State2: | Arkansas |
| Running Mate2: | Al Gore |
| Electoral Vote2: | 0 |
| Popular Vote2: | 504,051 |
| Percentage2: | 43.85% |
| Image3: | RossPerotColor.jpg |
| Nominee3: | Ross Perot |
| Party3: | Reform Party of the United States of America |
| Alliance3: | Patriot |
| Home State3: | Texas |
| Running Mate3: | Pat Choate |
| Electoral Vote3: | 0 |
| Popular Vote3: | 64,386 |
| Percentage3: | 5.60% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Bill Clinton |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Bill Clinton |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1996 United States presidential election in South Carolina took place on November 7, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 8 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
South Carolina was won by Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), with Dole winning 49.89% to 43.85% over President Bill Clinton (D) by a margin of 6.04%.[2] Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform-TX) finished in third, with 5.6% of the popular vote.
This marked the first time that a Democratic nominee was elected twice without winning South Carolina either time. Once a Democratic bastion with a tiny all-white electorate, the state has moved towards the Republicans after their party was taken over by conservatives and Southerners in the 1980s and 1990s. No Democrat has won the state since 1976, and it is now considered one of the safest red states.
, this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Democratic presidential candidate: Chesterfield, Georgetown, Abbeville, Lancaster, and Union.[3]
| 1996 United States presidential election in South Carolina | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | ||
| Republican | Bob Dole | Jack Kemp | 573,458 | 49.89% | 8 | ||
| Democratic | Bill Clinton (incumbent) | Al Gore (incumbent) | 504,051 | 43.85% | 0 | ||
| Reform/Patriot | Ross Perot | Patrick Choate | 64,386 | 5.60% | 0 | ||
| Libertarian | Harry Browne | Jo Jorgensen | 4,271 | 0.37% | 0 | ||
| U.S. Taxpayers' | Howard Phillips | Herbert Titus | 2,043 | 0.18% | 0 | ||
| Natural Law | Dr. John Hagelin | Dr. V. Tompkins | 1,248 | 0.11% | 0 | ||
| County | Bob Dole Republican | Bill Clinton Democratic | Ross Perot Reform | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |||||||||||||||||||
| Abbeville | 3,054 | 43.01% | 3,493 | 49.20% | 537 | 7.56% | 16 | 0.23% | -439 | -6.19% | 7,100 | ||||||||||||
| Aiken | 26,539 | 61.61% | 14,314 | 33.23% | 1,984 | 4.61% | 237 | 0.55% | 12,225 | 28.38% | 43,074 | ||||||||||||
| Allendale | 941 | 28.75% | 2,222 | 67.89% | 87 | 2.66% | 23 | 0.70% | -1,281 | -39.14% | 3,273 | ||||||||||||
| Anderson | 24,137 | 52.74% | 17,460 | 38.15% | 3,896 | 8.51% | 276 | 0.60% | 6,677 | 14.59% | 45,769 | ||||||||||||
| Bamberg | 1,715 | 32.29% | 3,380 | 63.63% | 192 | 3.61% | 25 | 0.47% | -1,665 | -31.34% | 5,312 | ||||||||||||
| Barnwell | 3,808 | 48.98% | 3,620 | 46.57% | 310 | 3.99% | 36 | 0.46% | 188 | 2.41% | 7,774 | ||||||||||||
| Beaufort | 17,575 | 53.00% | 13,532 | 40.81% | 1,838 | 5.54% | 217 | 0.65% | 4,043 | 12.19% | 33,162 | ||||||||||||
| Berkeley | 17,691 | 53.22% | 13,358 | 40.18% | 1,922 | 5.78% | 271 | 0.82% | 4,333 | 13.04% | 33,242 | ||||||||||||
| Calhoun | 2,520 | 45.02% | 2,716 | 48.52% | 316 | 5.64% | 46 | 0.82% | -196 | -3.50% | 5,598 | ||||||||||||
| Charleston | 48,675 | 50.34% | 43,571 | 45.06% | 3,514 | 3.63% | 928 | 0.96% | 5,104 | 5.28% | 96,688 | ||||||||||||
| Cherokee | 6,689 | 49.04% | 5,821 | 42.68% | 1,064 | 7.80% | 65 | 0.48% | 868 | 6.36% | 13,639 | ||||||||||||
| Chester | 3,157 | 34.80% | 5,108 | 56.31% | 758 | 8.36% | 49 | 0.54% | -1,951 | -21.51% | 9,072 | ||||||||||||
| Chesterfield | 4,028 | 38.11% | 5,734 | 54.25% | 768 | 7.27% | 39 | 0.37% | -1,706 | -16.14% | 10,569 | ||||||||||||
| Clarendon | 3,841 | 37.66% | 5,930 | 58.15% | 395 | 3.87% | 32 | 0.31% | -2,089 | -20.49% | 10,198 | ||||||||||||
| Colleton | 4,462 | 42.90% | 5,329 | 51.24% | 550 | 5.29% | 60 | 0.58% | -867 | -8.34% | 10,401 | ||||||||||||
| Darlington | 8,220 | 45.18% | 8,943 | 49.15% | 898 | 4.94% | 133 | 0.73% | -723 | -3.97% | 18,194 | ||||||||||||
| Dillon | 2,774 | 39.29% | 3,992 | 56.54% | 275 | 3.89% | 20 | 0.28% | -1,218 | -17.25% | 7,061 | ||||||||||||
| Dorchester | 15,283 | 56.63% | 9,931 | 36.80% | 1,591 | 5.90% | 182 | 0.67% | 5,352 | 19.83% | 26,987 | ||||||||||||
| Edgefield | 3,640 | 48.62% | 3,576 | 47.77% | 244 | 3.26% | 26 | 0.35% | 64 | 0.85% | 7,486 | ||||||||||||
| Fairfield | 2,414 | 32.29% | 4,719 | 63.12% | 284 | 3.80% | 59 | 0.79% | -2,305 | -30.83% | 7,476 | ||||||||||||
| Florence | 18,490 | 51.26% | 15,804 | 43.81% | 1,563 | 4.33% | 213 | 0.59% | 2,686 | 7.45% | 36,070 | ||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 7,023 | 42.95% | 8,298 | 50.75% | 950 | 5.81% | 81 | 0.50% | -1,275 | -7.80% | 16,352 | ||||||||||||
| Greenville | 71,210 | 59.13% | 41,605 | 34.55% | 6,761 | 5.61% | 844 | 0.70% | 29,605 | 24.58% | 120,420 | ||||||||||||
| Greenwood | 8,865 | 48.81% | 8,193 | 45.11% | 985 | 5.42% | 120 | 0.66% | 672 | 3.70% | 18,163 | ||||||||||||
| Hampton | 2,111 | 28.85% | 4,828 | 65.98% | 344 | 4.70% | 34 | 0.46% | -2,717 | -37.13% | 7,317 | ||||||||||||
| Horry | 26,159 | 47.86% | 23,722 | 43.40% | 4,446 | 8.13% | 326 | 0.60% | 2,437 | 4.46% | 54,653 | ||||||||||||
| Jasper | 2,024 | 31.29% | 4,053 | 62.66% | 348 | 5.38% | 43 | 0.66% | -2,029 | -31.37% | 6,468 | ||||||||||||
| Kershaw | 8,513 | 52.05% | 6,764 | 41.36% | 996 | 6.09% | 81 | 0.50% | 1,749 | 10.69% | 16,354 | ||||||||||||
| Lancaster | 7,544 | 42.01% | 8,752 | 48.74% | 1,598 | 8.90% | 63 | 0.35% | -1,208 | -6.73% | 17,957 | ||||||||||||
| Laurens | 8,057 | 48.69% | 7,055 | 42.64% | 1,341 | 8.10% | 94 | 0.57% | 1,002 | 6.05% | 16,547 | ||||||||||||
| Lee | 1,973 | 33.40% | 3,588 | 60.73% | 320 | 5.42% | 27 | 0.46% | -1,615 | -27.33% | 5,908 | ||||||||||||
| Lexington | 39,658 | 63.23% | 18,907 | 30.15% | 3,703 | 5.90% | 452 | 0.72% | 20,751 | 33.08% | 62,720 | ||||||||||||
| McCormick | 1,104 | 35.35% | 1,858 | 59.49% | 148 | 4.74% | 13 | 0.42% | -754 | -24.14% | 3,123 | ||||||||||||
| Marion | 3,595 | 34.40% | 6,359 | 60.85% | 356 | 3.41% | 141 | 1.35% | -2,764 | -26.45% | 10,451 | ||||||||||||
| Marlboro | 2,148 | 26.76% | 5,348 | 66.63% | 494 | 6.15% | 37 | 0.46% | -3,200 | -39.87% | 8,027 | ||||||||||||
| Newberry | 5,670 | 50.48% | 4,804 | 42.77% | 682 | 6.07% | 76 | 0.68% | 866 | 7.71% | 11,232 | ||||||||||||
| Oconee | 10,503 | 52.64% | 7,398 | 37.08% | 1,961 | 9.83% | 90 | 0.45% | 3,105 | 15.56% | 19,952 | ||||||||||||
| Orangeburg | 10,494 | 34.62% | 18,610 | 61.39% | 1,112 | 3.67% | 99 | 0.33% | -8,116 | -26.77% | 30,315 | ||||||||||||
| Pickens | 17,151 | 61.47% | 8,369 | 30.00% | 2,211 | 7.92% | 169 | 0.61% | 8,782 | 31.47% | 27,900 | ||||||||||||
| Richland | 39,092 | 41.05% | 52,222 | 54.84% | 3,158 | 3.32% | 758 | 0.80% | -13,130 | -13.79% | 95,230 | ||||||||||||
| Saluda | 2,825 | 49.56% | 2,486 | 43.61% | 371 | 6.51% | 18 | 0.32% | 339 | 5.95% | 5,700 | ||||||||||||
| Spartanburg | 35,972 | 53.53% | 26,814 | 39.90% | 3,885 | 5.78% | 525 | 0.78% | 9,158 | 13.63% | 67,196 | ||||||||||||
| Sumter | 12,080 | 47.57% | 12,198 | 48.04% | 933 | 3.67% | 181 | 0.71% | -118 | -0.47% | 25,392 | ||||||||||||
| Union | 3,855 | 38.34% | 5,407 | 53.77% | 749 | 7.45% | 44 | 0.44% | -1,552 | -15.43% | 10,055 | ||||||||||||
| Williamsburg | 3,957 | 34.84% | 6,987 | 61.52% | 375 | 3.30% | 38 | 0.33% | -3,030 | -26.68% | 11,357 | ||||||||||||
| York | 22,222 | 52.26% | 16,873 | 39.68% | 3,173 | 7.46% | 255 | 0.60% | 5,349 | 12.58% | 42,523 | ||||||||||||
| Totals | 573,458 | 49.89% | 504,051 | 43.85% | 64,386 | 5.60% | 7,562 | 0.66% | 69,407 | 6.04% | 1,149,457 | ||||||||||||