South Carolinians have only been able to visit polls early in person since 2022, and each round of primaries has seen more people participate than the last. Shortly after polls closed June 5 at 5 p.m., the South Carolina Election Commission reported 318,602 people voted early in this year's primary election, which is almost 200,000 more people who voted early than in 2024's primary election.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, people could visit election offices to vote early, but the system required voters cast absentee ballots in person instead of being similar to the multi-week early voting period now in place.
This year's primary election is the second that coincides with a gubernatorial race since true early voting in the state began. Voters showed out in droves to make their pick for offices that ranged from governor to some county councils.
Participation in early voting for the state's primary elections has tripled since the first year of the current system's implementation:
2026 Total EV Turnout: 318,602
2024 Total EV Turnout: 120,178
2022 Total EV Turnout: 100,450
The SEC has only reported political party participation statistics through June 2, but more voters had participated in the Democratic primary at that time; as of June 2, 132,242 ballots had been cast in the Democratic primary and 74,809 in the Republican primary.
The state Democratic Party had called on South Carolinians to vote early, as polls opened May 26 two-and-a-half hours before the Senate was set to meet and continue debate on potential congressional redistricting.
Early voting's start was seen as a quasi-deadline for the proposal to pass. A successful motion would have moved primaries for U.S. House representation to a later date, which would have made voters' May 26 selections in those races irrelevant. The redistricting effort failed and the state's elections will not be impacted.
The SEC has sent out 16,017 absentee ballots. Voters have returned 11,038 ballots, according to agency data. Absentee ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. June 9 to be counted.
South Carolina's primary election is June 9.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and any voter in line by 7 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. A valid photo ID is required to participate. Sample ballots and polling location information is available at scVOTES.gov.
