A pile of “I Voted” stickers is seen at a polling station Columbia, South Carolina during the 2016 Republican presidential primary. (Getty)
South Carolinians head to the polls on Tuesday, ready to cast their ballots in the 2016 election. Though the state is safely in Donald Trump’s camp, that’s not to say there’s no reason to vote, as there are plenty of important down ballot decisions to make. Incumbent U.S senator Tim Scott is up for reelection, as are seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Plus, seats in the South Carolina House and Senate are on the ballot as well.
Here’s what you need to know as you head to the polls this year.
POLLING HOURS & LOCATIONS: Polls in South Carolina open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 7:00 p.m., you will be able to vote. To find your polling precinct, visit the South Carolina Secretary of State’s website and enter your county.
TRACKING RESULTS: South Carolina election results will be posted as they come in on Tuesday night on the South Carolina Election Commission official website.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN FEDERAL RACES: In terms of the presidential race, not much. South Carolina is a solidly red state, and it has been four decades since a Democrat won in South Carolina. But incumbent Republican Senator Tim Scott is up for reelection, being challenged by Democratic candidate Thomas Dixon, who has pledged to tackle issues such as criminal justice reform, gun violence prevention, voting rights, and raising the minimum wage. In the House of Representatives, seven incumbent South Carolina representatives are being challenged, with six being Republicans and one being a Democrat.
- In the first district, Democrat Dimitri Cherny is challenging Republican Rep. Mark Sanford.
- In the second district, Democrat Arik Bjorn is challenging Republican Rep. Joe Wilson.
- In the third district, Democrat Hosea Cleveland is challenging Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan.
- In the fourth district, Democrat Chris Fedalei is challenging Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy.
- In the fifth district, Democrat Fran Person is challenging Republican Rep. Mick Mulvaney.
- In the sixth district, Republican Laura Sterling is challenging Democratic Rep. James Clyburn.
- In the seventh district, Democrat Mal Hyman is challenging Republican Rep. Tom Rice.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN THE STATE RACES: In the South Carolina State Senate, all 46 of the chamber’s seats are up for reelection, but 38 of the candidates are running unopposed. Six candidates are actually being challenged: Democrat Karl Allen (District 7), Democrat Floyd Nicholson (District 10), Democrat Glenn Reese (District 11), Democrat Mike Fanning (District 17), Republican John Courson (District 20), and Democrat Nikki Setzler (District 26). In the South Carolina House of Representatives, there are 124 seats, and 92 of those representatives are not being challenged. The following districts will have two representatives on the ballot this year: District 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 26, 31, 34, 37, 39, 40, 42, 45, 53, 54, 57, 58, 75, 79, 89, 90, 94, 96, 100, 110, 114, 116, 119, 121, and 124. Finally, 10 local judges are up for reelection, but all 10 of them are running unopposed.
