South Carolina Election Commission confirms 1.04 million early votes
Turnout in the final tally of the 12-day early voting period exceeded 2022 midterm figures but fell short of the 2024 presidential cycle.
By Jessica Abebe ·
The South Carolina Election Commission announced Monday that 1.04 million residents cast ballots during the 12-day early voting window for the 2026 General Election. This total represents a higher participation rate than the 2022 midterm cycle, although it does not set a new state record for early voting.
Voters are currently selecting the state's next governor and a successor to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham for the U.S. Senate. The ballots also include contests for state representatives, county council members, and other local offices. The commission notes that no-excuse early voting, a policy implemented in 2022, has now surpassed the one-million mark for the second time. For context, the 2024 General Election, which featured a presidential race, saw 1.47 million early votes. In the comparable 2022 midterm election, the count was approximately 561,000.
As of Monday morning, the commission has accounted for 40,732 returned absentee ballots. These figures are part of the broader tally of votes cast across the state's 46 counties.
McCormick County recorded the highest turnout percentage in the state. In that jurisdiction, 44.6% of registered voters, totaling 3,482 individuals, voted early out of a registered population of 7,807. Greenville County reported the largest raw number of early ballots with 108,729. This figure corresponds to 31.1% of the county's registered voters.
