By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

South Carolina voters will be able to choose their candidate for U.S. president this Saturday and next Saturday during the presidential preference primaries (PPPs).

The Republican PPP will be held this Saturday, Feb. 20 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at polling places. The Democratic PPP will be held next Saturday, Feb. 27 from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at polling places.

The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliations in South Carolina has passed. Voters may vote in one primary only.

According to the South Carolina State Election Commission, Republican candidates for U.S. president that will appear on the ballot for the Feb. 20 PPP include Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John R. Kasich, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. Republican candidates who withdrew but names will remain on the ballot include Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, and Rick Santorum. Lindsey Graham and George E. Pataki withdrew and their names will not be on the ballot.

According to the South Carolina State Election Commission, Democratic candidates on the PPP ballot for Feb. 27 include Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders and Willie Wilson.

The polling place for Landrum residents in Spartanburg County is the Landrum United Methodist Church, located at 227 N. Howard Ave., Landrum, SC 29356.

The polling place for area Greenville County residents, including Lake Lanier, is the Gowensville Community Center, located at 14186 Hwy. 11, Campobello, SC 29322.

Upcoming dates for South Carolina voters to remember include that March 16 at noon is the beginning of filing for all candidates seeking a political party nomination for the offices of U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate, State House of Representatives and county district offices. Filing closes at noon on March 30.

May 14 is the deadline to register to vote in the primaries.

June 14 is the primary with polls open from 7 a.m. -7 p.m.

Nov. 8 is the general election.