South Carolina voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 11, for a special Republican primary to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the late Lindsey Graham.
While the primary is open to the public, the South Carolina State Election Commission is reminding residents of state “crossover” eligibility rules. Under South Carolina law, any resident who voted in the June Democratic primary is ineligible to vote in this special Republican primary. However, those who voted in the June Republican primary, or those who did not cast a ballot in either party’s primary in June, are eligible to participate.
Early Voting
For those who wish to avoid the polls on Election Day, a three-day early voting window is available from Wednesday, Aug. 5, through Friday, Aug. 7. Early voting centers will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the following locations:
Fairfield County: Voter Registration Office, 315 S. Congress St., Winnsboro.
Richland County: Voter Registration Office (300 Columbia Mall Blvd., Suite 210, Columbia) and the Ballentine Community Center (1009 Bickley Rd., Irmo).
Election Day and Precinct Changes
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Voters must present a valid photo ID to cast their ballot. Local officials have noted several precinct changes for this special election:
Blythewood: Voters in the Blythewood 1, Blythewood 2, and Blythewood 3 precincts will all cast their ballots at Blythewood Park, located at 126 Boney Rd.
Fairfield County: Because school will be in session, the Ridgeway precinct will move from Geiger Elementary to the Ridgeway Recreation Center at 1900 US 21. All other Fairfield County precincts will remain at their standard locations.
Runoff Information
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote (50% plus one), a runoff will be held two weeks later on Aug. 25. Early voting for a potential runoff would take place from Aug. 19–21.
For more information on the special primary or to check your registration status, visit scVOTES.gov.