COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina residents could be forgiven in 2012 for wondering how their institutions would fail them next.

Hundreds of candidates were thrown off the ballot for filing paperwork at the wrong place. Thousands of voters stood in line for four hours or more to cast ballots because an elections director in Richland County decided she needed fewer voting machines during a presidential election. And millions of taxpayers had their Social Security numbers stolen by a hacker.