US District Court for the District of South Carolina
Federal trial court for South Carolina; Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sits there.
South Carolina's single federal trial court. On 30 September 2026 Judge Mary Geiger Lewis dismissed a challenge to the state's limits on helping voters, including a five-voter CAP per assistant, so the rules stand for 3 November.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026
Timeline for US District Court for the District of South Carolina
Mentioned in: S. Carolina voter-help cap survives suit
US Midterms 2026Background
The US District Court for the District of South Carolina is the federal trial court for the whole state; South Carolina has a single federal judicial district. Its appeals go to the US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Judge Mary Geiger Lewis has sat on the Court since 2012.
On 30 September 2026 Judge Lewis dismissed, for lack of standing, a suit brought by three disabled voters and the NAACP's South Carolina State Conference against state limits on WHO may help a voter cast a ballot. The rules include a CAP of five voters per assistant.
Judge Lewis dismissed without prejudice, so the NAACP branch and the three voters may file again. The limits apply for the 3 November election, including the state's Senate contest.