South Carolinians showed out in droves for the first day of early primary voting; a record number of people turned out for the first day of early voting while the Senate met to debate new congressional maps in an effort that — for now — is effectively dead.
More than 44,000 people had voted early as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. The figure is a new state record for turnout on a single day of early primary voting. The previous single-day state high was about 23,000 votes in 2024.
Voters made selections among candidates for governor, attorney general, U.S. House of Representatives and other offices. Early voting centers were open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will follow that schedule each weekday until June 5 when early voting ends.
In Orangeburg County, some 100 people waited in line to vote before the Orangeburg County Voter Registration Office opened. The office is one of three early voting centers available for county residents.
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn voted at the location about 30 minutes after the line began to move. In a press conference that followed his cast of a ballot, Clyburn said South Carolinians had answered the call to vote early.
"You told us that voting would start at 8:30 on the morning of the 26." he said. "They showed up — 8:30 the morning of the 26."
Clyburn announced he would run for reelection in March. If elected, it would be his 18th term in Congress.
Democrats had asked residents to prioritize voting early during early voting. Polls opened two-and-a-half hours before the Senate was set to meet and debate congressional redistricting. The sheer quantity of votes already cast was a factor some Republican senators had cited in their reservations to redistricting.
Absentee ballots, too, trickled in as early voting continued. Of the 13,223 ballots mailed to voters, the state Election Commission received back 4,157 as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Monday evening, Republican state Sen. Tom Davis released a statement that voiced his dissatisfaction with the expedited redistricting timeline.
"Tens of thousands of South Carolinians will walk into polling places to cast votes for candidates who have spent the past year campaigning under the existing lines, while their state senators are simultaneously voting to change those lines. Let that sink in," he said. "A legislature redrawing congressional districts while its own voters are actively casting ballots is without precedent in American electoral history. There is a reason no one has ever done this before."
Frustration with the redistricting process trickled down to some voters who felt as though the map did not prioritize the state's residents.
Sara Brown voted in Rock Hill alongside her husband. She said although she is not inherently opposed to change, she saw Tuesday as an opportunity to be heard.
"I have some heartburn over things that are going on politically," she said. "While I'm not typically a 'let's do it the way we've always done it' kind of person, I feel like it's important for our voices to be heard and to stand up for what we think."
Bruce Randall, who voted at the same Rock Hill center, was not pleased with pace of potential redistricting. He said even if redistricting is warranted, it was too late in the election process to seem viable.
"I think redistricting should have to be at least one year before an election or something like that, so there's time for everything to settle out," Randall said.
At a library in Mount Pleasant, Linda Stokes Hollback said potential redistricting was key in her decision to vote early.
"It needs to stop, and if we don't try to stop if now, it's going to get to the point where it's going to be too late to do anything," she said.
Although congressional districts will stay the same throughout 2026, it does not mean state Republicans' overall effort to see a fully GOP state congressional delegation is over. Gov. Henry McMaster released a statement Tuesday evening regarding the Senate's decision. He said he was disappointed that South Carolina's members of Congress are still not all Republicans, but he wanted residents to now focus on the election.
"With the Senate's vote today, it is clear that South Carolina will not have a new congressional map for the 2026 election. It is time for South Carolinians to go vote confidently in a safe and secure election for the June 9 primary."
State GOP Chairman Drew McKissick, too, released a post-Senate-vote statement. His reaction was along the lines of McMaster's.
"We’re very disappointed with the South Carolina Senate’s failure to act on President Trump’s call for redistricting. It’s an incredible missed opportunity. Now, our focus must shift to what lies ahead: winning the next election to protect our majority and keep President Trump’s agenda moving forward," he said.
Each county has a different number of early voting centers available for residents. Horry County and Florence County are the only counties in the state with seven available centers. Nineteen counties in the state, including Kershaw and Union, have just one center available. The South Carolina Election Commission provides a full list of locations.
Early voting will continue through June 5. The primary election is June 9.
