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2024SC Politics

South Carolina: Early Voting Off The Chain

More than a quarter of all 2020 voters have already cast their ballots…

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More than a quarter of the vote total from South Carolina’s 2020 general election is already in the bank amidst an unprecedented (and ongoing) surge in early voting across the Palmetto State.

Through the first five days of early voting, an astonishing 645,319 registered voters have already cast their 2024 ballots – or nearly 130,000 voters per day. All told, that’s 18.9 percent of the state’s current registered electorate – and 25.5 percent of the turnout from four years ago.

And get this: Early voting still has seven days left – including two Saturdays (October 26 and November 2) which are projected to be the busiest days of all. By the time it’s all said and done, as many as two million South Carolinians could wind up voting ahead of Election Day this cycle.

According to SCVotes.gov, there are 3.42 million registered voters in South Carolina. Four years ago, 2.53 million voters cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election.

The early voting totals for the general election dwarf the numbers seen in the 2024 primaries – and the high-profile 2024 Republican presidential primary. Want to see what I mean? Our amazing research director, Jenn Wood, has you covered…

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According to a breakdown of the data, Charleston County – which leans Democratic – leads the way so far with 61,691 ballots in the bank. Next is staunchly Republican Greenville County with 55,218 early votes, followed by devoutly GOP Horry County with 50,933 early ballots. Richland County – another Democratic stronghold – is fourth with 46,993 ballots in the bank.

Early voting in South Carolina is unlikely to have any impact whatsoever on the disposition of the state’s nine electoral votes – which are a lock for GOP nominee Donald Trump. The former president won South Carolina with 55 percent of the vote in both 2016 and 2020.

No Democrat has carried the Palmetto State since Jimmy Carter in 1976 – a streak Kamala Harris isn’t going to break. In fact, no Democrat has won election at the statewide level in South Carolina since 2006 – and the GOP has also amassed supermajorities in both chambers of the state’s all-powerful legislature.

Nationally, the University of Florida Election Lab estimated that as of 11:18 a.m. EDT on Saturday (October 26, 2024), more than 38.3 million early votes had been cast across the country. In states where voters register by party, 7.86 million Democrats had cast ballots compared to 7 million Republicans and 4.6 million unaffiliated.

Where should you go to cast your ballot? SCVotes.gov has got you covered…

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THE DATA…

(Source)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks (Dylan Nolan)

Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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8 comments

Nanker Phelge October 26, 2024 at 3:12 pm

They must all be Democrats because big daddy Trump told his people to vote on JANUARY 5th and the little ones all obey strict daddy or he will give them a big spanking. Btw, this week he thinks he’s running against Obama. Bigly cognitive!

“Early voting in South Carolina is unlikely to have any impact whatsoever on the disposition of the state’s nine electoral votes ”

No, but running up the popular vote count will cause the thin-skinned mushroom dick crybaby to lose his shit.

Remember Republicans, you can wait until JANUARY 5th to vote!

Reply
Goody3 Top fan October 26, 2024 at 6:17 pm

Here’s a question – why can’t the votes be tallied BEFORE Election Day? I’m aware that other states do that – sounds like a practical process to me. Those numbers would be added to the Nov. Election Day results – with the possibility of speeding up reporting. Or am I missing something?

Reply
River Top fan October 27, 2024 at 11:01 am

Vote Trump and save this wonderful nation!

Reply
Jackson October 27, 2024 at 2:11 pm

Vote Trump and destroy everything we spent the last 250 years building. We will be just another failed republic with a crooked dictator, just like Russia, China, North Korea, Hungary, Argentina, etc. etc. etc. Make America, America again. Stop supporting the convinced criminal, serial adulterer, molester, many times bankrupted Yankee Carpetbagger.

Reply
River Top fan October 27, 2024 at 5:15 pm

I doubt you ever contributed anything to America.

Reply
MAGA Virus Carrier October 28, 2024 at 8:20 am

You’re contributing, River, it’s just a negative contribution.

Reply
River Top fan October 28, 2024 at 11:10 am

My views would seem negative for a communist.

Amanda Williams Top fan October 28, 2024 at 12:40 pm

Vote Trump.

Reply

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