AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Carolina on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Carolina voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for U.S. Senate, governor, U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, state Senate, state House, agriculture commissioner, Comptroller General, Superintendent of Education and state treasurer.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 1.7 million votes were cast in South Carolina’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 36% of votes in the 2022 race for U.S. Senate in South Carolina were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for South Carolina can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

South Carolina counties vary in terms of when and how they release vote results. About half of all counties release all or almost all mail voting results in the first vote update, and about half of those also release in-person Election Day results at the same time. Almost every county releases at least some early in-person results in the first update.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 7:19 p.m. ET, 19 minutes after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 8:50 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 11:14 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

In South Carolina, recounts are automatic if the margin of victory is 1% or less of the total votes cast for the office. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.