South Carolina Senate Special Primary: Who Can Vote and What Comes Next
South Carolina voters face an August 11 special Republican Senate primary, with absentee, early-voting and runoff deadlines arriving quickly.
South Carolina’s July 28 filing deadline closed a 12-candidate Republican field for the special U.S. Senate primary, leaving voters less than two weeks to prepare for the August 11 statewide election.
The primary will select the Republican nominee for the Senate vacancy created by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. The special filing period and primary are being conducted under S.C. Code Section 7-11-55. Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, is serving as the interim Republican appointee, but no candidate has been selected for the full term.
The eventual Republican nominee is scheduled to appear on the November 3 general-election ballot after the primary process is completed and the nominee is certified. Democratic nominee Annie Andrews won her party’s June primary.
The immediate deadline for many voters is the absentee-ballot application deadline: 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 31.
Who can vote in the August 11 Republican primary?
South Carolina’s primary rules are based on which party’s June primary a voter participated in, not simply on the voter’s party registration.
Voters who participated in the June Republican primary may vote in the August 11 special Republican primary. Voters who did not vote in either June primary also may participate.
Voters who participated in the June Democratic primary are not eligible to vote in the August 11 Republican primary. The South Carolina Election Commission’s guidance addresses participation in the June Democratic primary; it does not say that every voter registered as a Democrat is barred.
Key dates for voters
- July 31 at 5:00 p.m.: Deadline to return an absentee-ballot application.
- August 5-7, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Early voting for the special Republican primary.
- August 11: Election Day. Absentee ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m.
- August 19-21, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Early voting for a runoff, if one is required.
- August 25: Scheduled runoff date if no Republican candidate wins a majority.
- November 3: Scheduled general election, after the Republican nominee is selected and certified.
Voters can use the state election system to check registration information, voting history, polling places and sample ballots.
What absentee voters need to do
Absentee voting is limited to voters who meet a qualifying statutory reason. Examples listed by the Election Commission include people with a physical disability, people age 65 or older and people whose jobs prevent them from voting during early voting and on Election Day.
Voters must obtain an application through their county voter registration and elections office. The completed application must be returned by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 31.
After receiving and completing a ballot, the voter must sign the oath and have the signature witnessed by someone age 18 or older. A notary is not required. The completed ballot may be returned by mail or personal delivery, but it must be received by the county election office no later than 7:00 p.m. August 11. Anyone returning a ballot in person must present photo identification. The Election Commission recommends mailing ballots no later than one week before Election Day to help ensure timely delivery.
Separate rules apply to military and overseas voters
Military and overseas voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act have separate delivery and return procedures. Because the schedule between candidate certification and Election Day is compressed, the Election Commission is encouraging voters who receive ballots by mail to contact their county office about switching to email delivery.
UOCAVA ballots may be returned by mail, email or fax. Electronic ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. August 11. A ballot returned by mail must be mailed by 7:00 p.m. August 11 and received by the county election office by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 12.
Primary ballots issued under the UOCAVA guidance will include an instant-runoff ballot that allows eligible military and overseas voters to rank candidates and use that ballot if a runoff is held August 25. This provision is specific to eligible UOCAVA voters; it does not mean that all South Carolina voters will use ranked-choice or instant-runoff voting.
Who is running?
The 12-candidate Republican field includes interim Sen. Darline Graham; U.S. Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry; former Gov. and congressman Mark Sanford; Greenville businessman Mark Lynch; and seven other candidates, according to the Associated Press.
The field includes current and former officeholders, businesspeople and other candidates. The filing list does not predict the outcome.
What happens after August 11?
A Republican candidate must win a majority to avoid another election. If no candidate receives a majority, the state has scheduled a runoff for August 25, with early voting August 19-21.
Only after the Republican nominee is selected and certified will the November general-election matchup be complete. Andrews, a Charleston physician, won the Democratic nomination in June. The general election is scheduled for November 3.
For voters, the immediate priorities are checking June primary participation, contacting the county election office promptly if absentee voting is necessary, using early voting August 5-7 if needed, and making sure any returned ballot is properly signed, witnessed and received on time.
Sources
- South Carolina Election Commission: U.S. Senate Special Republican Party Filing & Primary
- Associated Press: South Carolina Republicans line up to run in special primary to replace Lindsey Graham
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