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by WILL FOLKS
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South Carolina’s top prosecutor – and the favorite to become its next governor – is urging state and local election officials to alert voters about polling location changes ahead of a special GOP U.S. Senate runoff election.
“Clear and timely notice of changes will reduce confusion and maintain confidence in the election process,” S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson said in a statement issued on Tuesday (August 18, 2026). “Voters who are preparing to cast their ballot in the upcoming special election run-off should have no reason to second guess where they are voting on August 25.”
According to Wilson, the S.C. Election Commission (SCVotes) should “remind voters of polling place changes” ahead of the August 25, 2026 GOP special runoff election for U.S. Senate – giving them “as much advance notice as possible” related to new polling locations.
Wilson sent a letter (.pdf) to SCVotes’ commissioners this week stating that polling location changes “should be finalized and clearly communicated as early as possible, including through mailed notices, election websites, public notices and signage at former polling locations.”
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No South Carolinian should show up on Election Day only to find out their polling place has changed.
— Alan Wilson (@AGAlanWilson) August 18, 2026
I’m calling on election officials to give voters clear, advance notice of any precinct consolidations or polling-place changes ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff. https://t.co/sB15L8Iqy3 pic.twitter.com/mg7OH7CfCv
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Wilson’s letter was sent the day before early voting was set to begin in the special GOP U.S. Senate runoff between interim U.S. senator Darline Graham Nordone and fifth district congressman Ralph Norman – and one week before the special runoff election itself.
Nordone and Norman advanced to the runoff after finishing first and second, respectively, in last week’s Republican primary election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of Lindsey Graham. In South Carolina partisan primaries, if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the initial ballot, the top two vote-getters face off in a head-to-head runoff election two weeks later.
Last week’s special GOP primary election for this seat featured numerous changes in polling locations due the fact many of South Carolina’s government-run schools had already kicked off their school years. Turnout was still stronger than expected for a special primary, with 335,693 voters participating (11.12% of all registered voters).
Regular partisan primary elections in South Carolina are held in June when school is out of session. Also, schools are closed by state law on election day in even-numbered years – allowing their facilities to be used as polling locations.
For information on early voting in next week’s special election, click here. To find out where to vote next Tuesday, click here.
Here is a copy of Wilson’s letter to SCVotes’ commissioners…
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THE LETTER…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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