Beaufort County voters have through Friday to vote early before Tuesday’s runoff between Darline Graham and Ralph Norman
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort County voters who want to cast their ballots early in the special Republican U.S. Senate primary runoff have through Friday, Aug. 21, to do so before Election Day on Tuesday.
The Aug. 25 runoff will determine whether Darline Graham or U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman becomes the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The special election process was triggered following Graham’s death because he had opposition in the Nov. 3 general election. Under South Carolina law, a special Republican filing period and primary were required to select a replacement nominee.
Neither Darline Graham nor Norman received more than 50% of the vote in the 10-candidate Aug. 11 special Republican primary, sending the top two finishers to a runoff.
Early voting continues through Friday
Early voting for the runoff began Wednesday, Aug. 19, and continues through Friday, Aug. 21. The four Beaufort County early voting centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The locations are:
- Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections: 15 John Galt Road, Beaufort
- St. Helena Branch Library: 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island
- Bluffton Library: 120 Palmetto Way, Bluffton
- USCB Hilton Head Campus: 1 Sand Shark Drive, Hilton Head Island
During early voting, voters may cast a ballot at any early voting center in their county rather than their assigned Election Day precinct. Voters should bring an accepted photo ID.
Who can vote in the runoff?
Because the election is a continuation of the special Republican primary, eligibility is limited.
Voters who participated in the June Democratic primary are not eligible to participate. Voters who participated in the June Republican primary or who did not vote in either party’s June primary are eligible.
A voter did not have to cast a ballot in the Aug. 11 special primary to participate in the runoff as long as the voter is otherwise eligible. South Carolina election rules allow an eligible voter who did not participate in a primary to vote in its runoff.
The registration deadline to participate in the special primary and runoff was July 12.
Election Day is Tuesday
For those who do not vote early, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Unlike early voting, voters casting their ballots Tuesday must report to their assigned polling place.
Beaufort County’s official election notice cautions that polling locations can change and recommends voters verify their polling place before heading to the polls.
That is particularly important for several northern Beaufort County precincts that have temporary polling locations for the special election.
Temporary polling locations in northern Beaufort County
Burton 1A
Battery Creek High School
1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort
Burton 3A
Battery Creek High School
1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort
The county’s election notice designates Battery Creek High School as the temporary polling location for both precincts.
Lady’s Island 4A and 4B
Sea Island Presbyterian Church
81 Lady’s Island Drive, Beaufort
Both Lady’s Island precincts are temporarily assigned to Sea Island Presbyterian Church.
St. Helena 1B
St. Helena Branch Library
6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena Island
Dale Lobeco
Whale Branch Middle School
2009 Trask Parkway, Seabrook
Seabrook 3
Beaufort County Public Works
120 Shanklin Road, Beaufort
Sheldon 1
Booker T. Washington Community Center
182 Booker T. Washington Circle, Yemassee
Those locations are also designated as temporary polling places in the county’s notice.
Other northern Beaufort County precincts will use the polling locations listed in the county’s special election notice, including USCB’s Boundary Street Gymnasium for Beaufort 1, 2 and 3 and Port Royal Town Hall for Port Royal 1 and 2.
Because of the temporary changes, voters are encouraged to check their individual polling location through the South Carolina Election Commission’s MySCVotes system before leaving home.
Military and overseas voters
Special rules apply to eligible military members and U.S. citizens living overseas.
Military and overseas voters who received an Instant Runoff Voting ballot with their special primary ballot could rank candidates in advance so their ballot could also be used in the event of a runoff.
Eligible military and overseas voters who did not vote in the Aug. 11 primary may still participate in the Aug. 25 runoff. They can return the Instant Runoff Voting ballot previously sent to them or request a separate runoff ballot from their county voter registration office.
What happens next?
The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will become the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat in the Nov. 3 general election.
The Beaufort County Board of Canvassers is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the county elections office, 15 John Galt Road in Beaufort, to determine the validity of provisional ballots cast in the runoff.
Voters can check their registration status, find their assigned polling place and view their sample ballot through MySCVotes at the South Carolina Election Commission’s website.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.