Elections & Voting
South Carolina Republicans vote Tuesday in a special U.S. Senate primary runoff between interim Senator Darline Graham and Representative Ralph Norman. Graham led the August 11 special primary but did not receive the majority required to avoid a runoff. The winner becomes the Republican nominee on the November 3 general-election ballot for the seat previously held by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Today’s vote selects a party nominee; it does not award a new six-year term.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line at closing may vote, according to the State Election Commission. Eligibility is not identical for every registered voter. People who participated in the June Democratic primary or runoff are not eligible for this special Republican runoff. Voters should verify their polling place, review the current sample ballot and bring acceptable photo identification rather than relying on an old precinct card or a campaign text.
Absentee ballots must reach the county elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday. The return envelope must include the voter’s oath, a witness signature and the witness’s address. Election officials advised voters holding ballots late in the process to consider hand delivery rather than ordinary mail. Those are receipt rules, not suggestions. A postmark does not rescue a ballot that arrives after South Carolina’s deadline for this contest.
Election-night returns will be unofficial. County boards canvass results and the State Election Commission certifies statewide contests. Associated Press decision reporting says Graham finished first in the initial round, while Norman brings years of elected experience and a defined statewide base. That history can inform expectations, but it cannot substitute for counted runoff ballots. Early reporting may also reflect counties with very different political profiles.
Beast ballot check: confirmed are the candidates, poll hours, eligibility limits, absentee deadline and November consequence. Campaign claims about loyalty, experience and momentum remain claims. Disputed are the meaning of the first-round vote and the strength of presidential endorsement. Unknown are turnout, winner and margin. Expected next are unofficial returns, a projection only when the remaining vote permits one, and formal certification. Watch the voter path, the denominator and the legal status of the number. Election night is a report in progress, not a certificate with confetti. Any close margin could also extend attention to provisional ballots, canvass corrections and the state’s formal challenge procedures before any final statewide certification is issued. Official county returns should outrank screenshots circulating without timestamps.
Sources
- South Carolina State Election Commission — Election Day Reminders for Special Republican Primary Runoff (08-21-2026)
- South Carolina State Election Commission — U.S. Senate Special Republican Party Filing & Primary (08-2026)
- Associated Press — Darline Graham, Ralph Norman go head-to-head in South Carolina's GOP Senate runoff (08-25-2026)