South Carolina occupies a unique position in American politics. The Palmetto State for years has remained a Republican stronghold, leading many national polling firms to focus on the state’s GOP presidential primary seasons. Consequently, however, critical insights into the policy priorities of South Carolinians are often overlooked. 

That changes now. The South Carolina Policy Council has conducted an independent poll, directly engaging South Carolinians on the issues that matter most to them: state income taxes, government spending, civil liability reform, transparency, economic incentives, and more. 

Below are the key findings from the poll of more than 1,200 respondents statewide, which was conducted by Targoz Market Research during the weeks of January 22 to 31. The poll’s margin of error was plus or minus 2.77%. 

Highlights 

Taxes and Spending

The S.C. General Assembly and the governor have signaled lowering taxes as a priority in 2025. 

Eliminating income taxes is popular among South Carolina voters with 62% of respondents in favor of reducing or fully eliminating the income tax, with 35% strongly supporting eliminating income tax. 75% of respondents said that they strongly or somewhat support greatly reducing state income tax. 

Corporate welfare refers to financial incentives, such as tax breaks or subsidies, often provided to larger businesses to encourage investment or job creation. On the topic: 

• 17% of respondents believed corporate incentives are an unnecessary expense that unfairly favors larger corporations over taxpayers. 

• 42% of voters said corporate incentives can benefit the economy when carefully managed, but it is often overused or poorly targeted. 
   

Civil Liability

South Carolina is one of the few states in the country that uses a modified version of joint- and-several liability. Under this system, one party can be held responsible for paying the entire judgment, even if other parties were also at fault. The polling showed that: 

• 63% supported reforming the “joint-and-several liability” system to ensure financial responsibility is distributed based on each party’s proportional share of fault. 

• 57% viewed the current system as unfair, while 33% believed it to be fair. 
   

Education 

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) continue to be a focal point in South Carolina’s school choice debate. The polling revealed:  

• 60% supported the measure. 

• 28% opposed the measure. 

• 12% remain unsure. 
   

Transparency 

Voters across the board favor of increased transparency at the Statehouse. 

• 80% of voters believe that it is important that all government meetings in South Carolina are live-streamed and archived for public viewing. 

• 12% reported being “very familiar” with existing transparency measures, while 38% report only general awareness. 

Infrastructure 

Infrastructure investment remains a critical concern for South Carolinians:  

• 69% ranked repairing roads, bridges, and other infrastructure as “very important.” 

• 46% rated the state’s roads and highways as poor or very poor, while only 3% considered them excellent. 

In the wake of severe flooding in 2024, 39% of respondents expressed confidence in South Carolina’s ability to withstand future flooding events. Voters highlighted key priorities for mitigating extreme weather effects: 

• 47% supported enhancing drainage systems. 

• 35% favored burying power lines. 

• 33% backed strengthening the power grid. 

Energy and environmental policy 

Energy policy has been a clear objective of the general assembly over the past few legislative sessions.  When asked if they support prioritize nuclear energy as a key source of power for South Carolina respondents answered:  

• 51% strongly or somewhat supported the measure. 

• 26% were neutral. 

• 15% were strongly or somewhat opposed. 

On electricity pricing fairness: 

• 53% believed large energy consumers, such as tech companies, should pay rates proportional to their energy use. 

• 24% favored a case-by-case approach based on economic impact.  

• 14% supported offering discounted rates to incentivize investment. 

Judicial Reform 

The survey revealed approval for overhauling South Carolina’s judicial appointment process. Currently, higher-level judges are selected by the Legislature. A proposed federal-style model, in which the governor appoints judges and lawmakers confirm them, garnered support from 41% of respondents, while 37% were unsure and 22% opposed the reform. 

Takeaways 

SCPC’s latest poll highlights strong public support for tax cuts, increased government transparency, and infrastructure improvements. Voters broadly favor reducing or eliminating the state income tax and want all government meetings to be livestreamed and archived.  

Voter sentiment also reflects a growing interest in legal and judicial reforms, including changes to liability laws and a transition to a federal-style judicial appointment system. Meanwhile, energy policy remains a key issue, with support for nuclear power and a call for fairer electricity pricing for large consumers. 

For a full breakdown of the crosstabs, see the data below: 

Interactive Poll

Crosstab Marginals 

Crosstabs Demographics 

Crosstabs Party and Regions 

Transparency Initiative Disclosure

If you have questions about the poll or would like to arrange an interview, please email [email protected] or call 803-779-5022.

Methodology statement:

• Online poll of 1,201 registered voters in South Carolina conducted by Targoz Market Research.
• Only respondents who passed our data quality checks were included in the final results and compensated for participating.
• Sampling was stratified by demographics and geography.
• Respondents were compensated for their participation.
• Results were weighted by demographics, party, geography, and behavioral measures to properly reflect the profile of the state.
• Estimated margin of error: +/- 2.77%
• Fieldwork: January 22-31, 2025
• Due to weighting and rounding, percentages may not always total exactly 100%.