privacy south-carolina voting
How available is SC voter information to political parties?
<p>I moved to South Carolina about three years ago, and voted in the 2014 midterm election. I don't remember exactly who I voted for, but between the big-ticket races and the local ones I'm certain I chose both Democrats and Republicans, and I think some minor-party candidates too.</p>

<p>A volunteer for a presidential candidate's campaign knocked on my door last week and asked for me by name. Out of idle curiosity I asked how he got my information. His answer was that in South Carolina, when a voter casts a ballot, the political party of the candidate(s) voted for receive the voter's contact information.</p>

<p>This seems highly suspicious to me. I know that voter registration records are public information to a degree, but I was under the impression that what goes on at the actual ballot box is entirely private.</p>

<p>Was the volunteer just misinformed? If not, what law authorizes this, what info does it release and who can access it?</p>

<p>The state of South Carolina, like all states, has a commission or administrator of elections, which handles voter registration, candidate filings, administers the vote on elections days, interfaces with the public and the press, and sells voter data.</p>

<p>This voter data (as pointed out by Dale M) does not include the actual vote cast, but does indicate at very least the name, address, past years a vote was cast, and party affiliation.</p>

<p>Elections are seriously data driven these days. Voter data is bought by any serious national candidate for all 50 states and crunched/analyzed for the purposes of polling, making phone calls to you and home visits to talk with you directly.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Was the volunteer just misinformed?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes, the volunteer was wrong. The volunteer knows your name and your party affiliation and the past years you voted, but not your actual vote.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>What info does it release and who can access it?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is from The South Carolina State Election Commission
<a href="http://www.scvotes.org/sale_of_voter_registration_lists" rel="nofollow">http://www.scvotes.org/sale_of_voter_registration_lists</a> </p>

<p><em>Any registered voter in South Carolina can purchase a list of registered voters....Voters can be selected by any combination of the following: county, election district (house, senate, congressional, county council, city council, school district, etc.), age, sex, race, household, participation in a particular election, and date of registration.</em></p>
