South Carolina Senate Republican runoff is Aug. 25. Who can vote and how

South Carolina’s special Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate is Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, between Darline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman. Early voting is available Aug. 19-21, and voters who qualify for absentee voting face a 7 p.m. Election Day ballot-receipt deadline.

The runoff will choose the Republican nominee for the later general election. It will not decide the Senate seat by itself.

Why there is a runoff

Graham and Norman advanced from the Aug. 11 special Republican primary. The special election was triggered by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the remaining months of her brother’s term, and she is now competing with Norman for the Republican nomination.

Democrat Annie Andrews is the reported Democratic nominee for the later general election. The Aug. 25 contest is a party primary runoff, not the general election.

Who can vote in the Republican runoff

Eligibility is based on participation in South Carolina’s June 2026 primaries:

• Voters who participated in the June Republican primary may vote in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff.
• Voters who did not vote in either June primary may vote in the Republican runoff.
• Voters who participated in the June Democratic primary may not vote in the Republican runoff.

Voters can use the SC Votes voter portal to review their registration, voting history, sample ballot and polling information.

Early voting is Aug. 19-21

Early-voting centers will be open Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Friday, Aug. 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Voters may use any authorized early-voting center in their county. They do not have to use the location assigned for Election Day. Locations vary by county, so check the official SC Votes list before traveling.

Photo ID is required for in-person voting. Accepted forms include:

• A driver’s license issued by a state in the United States;
• Another state-issued DMV photo ID;
• A passport;
• A federal military identification card with a photograph; or
• A South Carolina voter-registration card containing the voter’s photograph.

Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 25

Polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 25. The official election calendar lists the runoff date and polling hours.

Check the SC Votes voter portal before Election Day to confirm your assigned polling place. An early-voting center is not necessarily the same location as an Election Day polling place.

Absentee voting: The standard application deadline has passed

The regular absentee-application deadline was 5 p.m. on the 11th day before the election, or Friday, Aug. 14. As of Saturday, Aug. 15, that standard deadline has passed. Voters should not assume they can still submit a regular absentee application for the runoff.

South Carolina permits absentee voting for qualifying voters, including people who are:

• 65 or older;
• Living with a physical disability;
• Unable to vote because of qualifying employment obligations;
• Attending a sick or physically disabled person;
• Absent from their county during the early-voting period and Election Day;
• Hospitalized as an emergency patient on Election Day or during the four days before it;
• Confined in a qualifying jail or pretrial facility; or
• Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marines, or eligible spouses and dependents residing with them.

Completed regular absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s county voter-registration and elections office by 7 p.m. on Aug. 25. A voter returning a ballot in person must present an accepted photo ID. The voter must sign the oath and have the signature witnessed by someone age 18 or older; a notary is not required.

Voters can track an absentee request or ballot through the SC Votes voter portal or by contacting their county election office.

Military and overseas voters have separate procedures

Military and overseas voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA, should contact their county election office as soon as possible. UOCAVA voters can submit a Federal Post Card Application, a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot or a state absentee application through Election Day, subject to registration and eligibility requirements.

For the Aug. 25 runoff, an electronic or personally delivered UOCAVA ballot must reach the county election office by 7 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 25. A ballot returned by mail must be mailed no later than 7 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 25 and received by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

UOCAVA voters who received an instant-runoff ballot with their primary ballot may use that ballot for the runoff. A qualified voter who did not vote in the Aug. 11 primary may return the instant-runoff ballot or request a separate runoff ballot from the county election office.

What voters should check now

Before voting, residents should use SC Votes to confirm:

• Registration status;
• June primary voting history and runoff eligibility;
• Sample ballot;
• Election Day polling place;
• County early-voting centers; and
• Absentee-ballot status, if applicable.

The next statewide voting opportunity in this Senate contest is the Aug. 25 Republican runoff. The winner will advance to the later general election.

Sources

• SC Votes — Early Voting for U.S. Senate Special Republican Primary Runoff
• Associated Press — Sen. Darline Graham, US Rep. Ralph Norman advance to GOP runoff for US Senate in South Carolina

Look for updates to this story

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