A rainy Election Day did not deter South Carolinians from casting their ballots for federal, state and local races.

In Greenville County, turnout was around 65%, according to Elections Director Conway Belangia. Spartanburg County saw a turnout rate of about 72%, and 66% of registered voters turned out in Anderson.

Voter turnout was about 67% statewide.

Before Election Day, more than 1.5 million voters had cast a ballot either through early voting or absentee ballots. 

In the 4^th  Congressional District, Democrat Kathryn Harvey looked to unseat Incumbent William Timmons but failed to capture enough votes.

“This community really has turned out. The support has been overwhelming,” Harvey said. 

The district has a GOP stronghold and has not elected a Democrat since Bob Inglis unseated Liz Patterson in 1992.  But, Harvey says it is a “misnomer” that the district’s voters prefer “hardline politics.” 

“The folks who maybe have never voted Democrat before but wanted to talk about issues with me and are willing to think about the person that they want to represent them and not just the party, has been incredible,” Harvey said. 

During her campaign, Harvey criticized Timmons for not being present in the 4th congressional district and for not voting to certify the 2020 election.

“At the end of the day, the election law changes that the Democrats pushed were unconstitutional, and you can call it cheating. You can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day, you can’t change the rules of the game right before the game is over,” Timmons said.

SC Democrats undeterred

Though South Carolina overall voted for former President Donald Trump overwhelmingly, Democrats still proudly cast a ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Maxine Duckett said the issue top of mind for her was women’s rights, adding that Trump was a “bully.”

“He is a person that’s really saying, ‘Hey, it’s okay to be bullying’,” Duckett said.

As a mother of three daughters, ages 24, 19, and 14, Duckett said, voting for the country’s potential first female president was “important.”

For Dante Tabor, Duckett’s partner, voting was a way for him to use his voice as a person who is physically disabled. Tabor was born conjoined to his twin brother, who later died.

“I can do anything that a normal person can do. I might be special, I might got a learning disability, but I can do things that normal people can do. And I think it’s time for my voice to be heard,” Tabor said. It was his first time voting.

For Greenville County GOP chairwoman Yvonne Julian, the mood at the headquarters was “jubilation.”

“There’s a lot of happiness and, you know, pride in the job that we’ve done, and a lot of excitement.”

South Carolina football picked up a commitment Tuesday from Dutch Fork senior linebacker Josh Smith.

Smith, who decommitted from Coastal Carolina in September, had offers from NC State and Ole Miss as well as nine others. Smith (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) is rated as a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite and is the No. 25 player in South Carolina.

Smith also had offers from Vanderbilt, Memphis, Appalachian State, Marshall, Connecticut, Liberty, Charlotte, Charleston Southern and Wofford. He committed to Coastal Carolina in April.

Coach Shane Beamer’s 2025 South Carolina football recruiting class has 21 commitments and is rated No. 22 in the country.

Early signing day is Dec. 4.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Voters who did not take advantage of early voting in the Palmetto State will be able to cast their ballots starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Polls will be open through 7 p.m. statewide. Any voter who is in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast their vote.

Click here to check your voter registration.

Click here to find your polling place.

Click here to see a sample ballot based on your precinct.

Over the last two weeks, a record number of South Carolinians — just over a million-and-a-half people either in person or via mail — voted early. That’s about 46 percent of the state’s registered voters. But unlike the early voting period, voters who will cast ballots on Election Day must go to their specific polling locations.

Voters must have a valid photo ID to check-in. Acceptable forms of photo ID include a South Carolina driver’s license, a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card, a South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit, a South Carolina voter registration card with photo, a United States military ID and a United States passport.

READ MORE: Your 2024 general election voter guide

If you still have an absentee ballot, the return deadline for those is 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters are encouraged to return their ballots in person to ensure it is received before the deadline.

The State Election Commission says if you’re voting Tuesday, it’s hard to predict how long you might have to wait in line, though typically more people go in the morning. But they say South Carolina’s strong early voting turnout should help with overall wait times.

Multiple organizations including the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority, the South Carolina Coalition for Voter Participation and the Airport Limo Taxi Association at the Charleston International Airport are offering free rides to the polls.

The biggest battle in the 2024 general election is the race for the White House between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.

But for the Lowcountry, U.S. Congressional races will decide who represents the state’s First, Sixth and Seventh Districts.

In the First District, which includes portions of Berkeley and Beaufort Counties as well as portions of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester and Jasper Counties, incumbent Republican Nancy Mace is hoping to keep her seat as Democrat Michael Moore challenges.

Democrat Jim Clyburn, first elected to represent the Sixth Congressional District in 1992, faces a challenge from Republican Duke Buckner and three others. That district covers all or part of 14 South Carolina counties, including all of Williamsburg County and portions of Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Jasper and Orangeburg Counties.

South Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District, which covers all or part of eight counties, including Georgetown County, features a fight for votes between incumbent Rep. Russell Fry, a Republican; and challenger Mal Hyman, a Democrat.

Lowcountry voters will also select the state‘s Ninth Circuit Solicitor, the top prosecutor for the state’s Ninth Circuit. Republican incumbent Scarlett Wilson is facing a challenge from Democrat David Osborne. The Ninth Circuit covers Berkeley and Charleston Counties.

Two other Lowcountry solicitor candidates are unopposed. Solicitor David Pascoe, a Democrat, is running unopposed in the First Circuit, which covers Calhoun, Orangeburg and Dorchester Counties. In the Fourteenth Circuit, which covers Allendale, Colleton, Hampton, Beaufort and Jasper Counties, Republican Duffie Stone is also running unopposed.

In six Lowcountry counties, voters will decide who will be sheriff. In Charleston County, incumbent Democrat Kristin Graziano faces a challenge from Republican Carl Ritchie, the former police chief in Mount Pleasant. In Colleton County, Buddy Hall, a Republican; faces a challenge from Democrat Alyssa Bodison. Dorchester County Chief Deputy Sam Richardson, a Republican; hopes to defeat Democratic challenger Charles Frederick III. And in Georgetown County, Republican incumbent Carter Weaver is fighting Democrat Birt Adams for the job.

Democratic incumbent Sheriffs Leroy Ravenel of Orangeburg County and Stephen Gardner of Williamsburg County are running unopposed.

Most of the coroner‘s races feature a single candidate. But in Charleston County, Democratic challenger Frank Broccolo is hoping to unseat Republican incumbent Bobbi Jo O’Neal.

In Charleston County, Democratic incumbent County Treasurer Mary Tinkler is hoping to keep her seat against Republican challenger Mike Van Horn.

The election includes scores of races in the South Carolina State House as well as Lowcountry county council and school board members.

In South Carolina, members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms while members of the Senate serve four-year terms. But in this year’s election, every seat in both houses will be up for reelection.

All South Carolina voters will also decide whether the state’s constitution must be amended to prohibit non-citizens from voting in the state.

Voters in different counties may face additional ballot questions. One of the most watched ballot questions will likely face Charleston County voters, who will decide on renewing a half-cent transportation sales tax that will generate nearly $5 billion for road projects, including the completion of the Mark Clark Extension project, and $432 million for greenbelt projects.

Polls will close at 7 p.m. statewide. The counting of the ballots will not begin until that time, although State Election Commission officials are confident all of the state races will be decided by the end of the evening.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.