Early voting for the Aug. 25 Republican primary runoff for the U.S. Senate opens Wednesday and runs three days, with two centers open in York County and two in Lancaster County.
Sen. Darline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman are on the ballot. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in November for the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham in July.
Centers are open Wednesday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters may go to any early voting center in the county where they are registered. There is no application or excuse required. Voters present a photo ID and cast a ballot on the same voting system used at precinct polling places on election day.
Norman represents South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, which covers York and Lancaster counties, so both candidates are on familiar ground with local voters. Neither cleared the majority needed to win the Aug. 11 special primary outright, which sent the race to a runoff.
Where to vote in York County
York County voters can cast ballots at the Fire Training Center of York County, 2500 McFarland Road in York, or at the Staybridge Suites at Galleria Mall, 493 Galleria Blvd. in Rock Hill.
Where to vote in Lancaster County
Lancaster County voters can cast ballots at the County Voter Registration Office, 101 N. Main St. in Lancaster, or at the Del Webb location at 7641 Charlotte Highway in Indian Land.
Who is eligible
South Carolina holds open primaries, but state law restricts crossover voting once a voter has taken part in one party’s primary. Voters who cast a ballot in the June Democratic primary are not eligible to vote in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff, according to the State Election Commission. Voters who cast a ballot in the June Republican primary, and voters who sat out both June primaries, are eligible.
The commission said its determination follows the requirements of state election law governing participation in party primaries.
Photo ID
Voters need one of the accepted forms of photo identification. Those include a South Carolina driver’s license, a state issued ID card from the Department of Motor Vehicles, a county voter registration card with a photo, a federal military ID or a U.S. passport. A voter who arrives without an accepted ID can still vote a provisional ballot after signing an affidavit, and that ballot counts unless the county board of voter registration and elections determines the affidavit is false.
Voters who miss the three day early voting window can vote at their assigned precinct on Tuesday, Aug. 25, when polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Registration status, sample ballots and precinct assignments are available through the state voter portal at scvotes.gov.
Sources
South Carolina State Election Commission, early voting information for the U.S. Senate Special Republican Party Primary Runoff, scvotes.gov. Candidate information provided by the publisher.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
