COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Elections Commission will begin using a new verification tool to check voters’ citizenship status to ensure that only U.S. citizens are voting in elections.

The new tool is called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) that was established by an executive order from President Donald Trump. It will allow state agencies to verify new voter applicants’ citizenship status.

The enhanced tool will start out using alien numbers, certificate of citizenship and/or naturalization numbers, eventually transitioning to using more identifiers like Social Security numbers. Only agencies with a memorandum of understanding with SAVE will be allowed to access the program and its data.

The rollout of the SAVE program comes after South Carolina citizens voted in 2024 to approve an amendment to the state constitution that says only US citizens can vote in all elections. Previously, the constitution stated that “all citizens 18 years and older can vote.”

“South Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved this amendment to ensure that only eligible citizens have a say in our elections,” Howard Knapp, executive director of the South Carolina Elections Commission, said. “We are encouraged that federal agencies are now responding to that directive and providing the tools we need to enforce it responsibly and lawfully.”

The elections commission first applied to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024 for aid in verifying voters’ citizenship status, but their request was denied. It was later approved in early 2025.

Knapp said that the new tool will help reflect what citizens voted for in the 2024 election.

“South Carolinians can be confident that, heading into the 2026 election cycle, our procedures fully reflect the citizen-only voting requirement approved by voters in 2024,” Knapp said.

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 20, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 20 drawing

18-30-33-55-64, Mega Ball: 11

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from May 20 drawing

Midday: 4-5-4, FB: 6

Evening: 5-1-2, FB: 9

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from May 20 drawing

Midday: 7-7-6-1, FB: 6

Evening: 1-2-5-2, FB: 9

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 20 drawing

Midday: 05

Evening: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from May 20 drawing

02-14-19-24-27

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

• Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
• Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
• Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
• Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
• Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
• Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

A coalition of South Carolina solicitors is speaking out against a recently passed fentanyl homicide statute, warning it offers little real help in combating the deadly opioid crisis ravaging communities across the Palmetto State.

In a sharply worded statement released by the office of S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor Duffie Stone – and signed by eleven other elected solicitors – the Palmetto State’s new “fentanyl-induced homicide” bill was blasted as ineffective, difficult to enforce and ultimately misleading for the victims’ families it was meant to empower.

“The recently passed fentanyl-induced homicide law … fails to provide prosecutors any real tools,” Stone wrote in the letter (.pdf). “It will be rarely used.”

In contrast to the “crucial first step” taken by lawmakers in 2023 with the passage of a fentanyl trafficking bill, the new legislation – S. 156 – “ensures the status quo,” prosecutors claimed.

“Under no circumstances will it be the game-changer some are touting it to be,” Stone wrote. “Unfortunately, it will give grieving parents false hope of holding drug pushers responsible for their kills.”

***

Passed by both chambers of the General Assembly – and currently awaiting the signature of governor Henry McMaster (a former attorney general and U.S. attorney) – the bill creates a new felony homicide offense for those who “knowingly provide” fentanyl that leads to someone’s death.

“Though the statute has other problems, the use of the word ‘knowingly’ will make it nearly impossible to prove,” Stone asserted in the letter.

According to him and his fellow prosecutors, criminals who claim they believed they were selling heroin or OxyContin “will be a standard defense.” Also, Stone and the solicitors referenced the glut of counterfeit pills pressed to mimic legitimate pharmaceuticals.

“Pills pressed with fake logos and false identifiers will provide an instant defense,” they wrote.

Instead of what they describe as an empty gesture, the solicitors are asking the S.C. General Assembly to pass legislation they believe would have real impact: a state-level Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law along with a comprehensive anti-gang statute.

“To stop the infiltration of fentanyl, we must stop the organizations that are distributing it,” Stone said. “There are manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors getting this substance into our communities. We can stop them with a state RICO and gang law.”

***

RELATED | SOUTH CAROLINA SEES ‘FENTANYL SURGE’

***

South Carolina remains one of the few states without its own RICO statute — a powerful prosecutorial tool that allows authorities to indict entire criminal enterprises, rather than taking down one defendant at a time.

“Without this tool, we must piecemeal prosecutions,” Stone said, “charging and prosecuting individuals for individual acts without being able to show the jury their over-arching criminal scheme.”

A gang enforcement bill – S. 76 – is currently pending before the legislature. Prosecutors say its passage could mark a turning point in the fight against organized drug distribution in South Carolina.

“Unlike the current fentanyl homicide law, its passage would be a game changer,” Stone wrote.

The letter was signed by solicitors from 11 of South Carolina’s sixteen circuits — including several from districts that have seen devastating impacts from fentanyl trafficking in recent years. Among its signatories: David Pascoe (first circuit); Bill Weeks (second circuit); Mike Burch (fourth circuit); Byron Gipson (fifth circuit); Randy Newman (sixth circuit); Barry Barnett (seventh circuit); David Stumbo (eighth circuit); Scarlett Wilson (ninth circuit); Rick Hubbard (eleventh circuit); Jimmy Richardson (fifteenth circuit); and Kevin Brackett (sixteenth circuit).

The solicitors’ statement reflected growing frustration within the prosecutorial community regarding its struggles to keep up with the scale and complexity of the fentanyl crisis. Overdose deaths in South Carolina — many linked to counterfeit pills and illicit drug trafficking networks — have surged in recent years, prompting calls for stronger enforcement tools at the state level.

Whether the S.C. General Assembly will advance the kind of legislation prosecutors say is necessary — such as a state RICO statute or gang enforcement bill — remains to be seen. But with fentanyl continuing to devastate communities across the Palmetto State, lawmakers face mounting pressure to move beyond symbolic gestures and deliver laws with real impact.

***

THE LETTER…

(S.C. Fourteenth Judicial Circuit)

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.