Berkeley County voters are weighing in on several major statewide contests — including races for U.S. House, State Senate, and key constitutional offices — along with the county’s only local race on today’s ballot. (FILE IMAGE)
BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – South Carolina heads into Primary Day on the heels of an unprecedented surge in voter participation — one that began long before polls opened Tuesday morning. The South Carolina Election Commission reported a record‑breaking 318,602 early votes statewide, nearly triple the total from 2024 and more than three times the turnout recorded in 2022.
That surge began immediately: during the first week alone, 151,670 South Carolinians cast ballots, surpassing the entire early voting turnout from 2024 in just four days.
Berkeley County was one of the standout counties driving that momentum. Local voters cast 7,350 early ballots during the first week, a 307% increase from the same period in 2024 — one of the largest spikes among major counties. The early numbers have raised expectations that today’s primary could offer an early indication of voter enthusiasm heading into November.
Now, Election Day voting is underway across Berkeley County’s 94 precincts, where 158,850 registered voters are eligible to cast ballots. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m., and any voter in line by closing time will be allowed to vote.
State election officials are reminding voters to bring a valid Photo ID, verify their polling place, and review their sample ballot at scVOTES.gov before heading out.
Voters who still have absentee ballots must ensure they are received by the county elections office by 7 p.m. and properly witnessed to be counted. Officials recommend hand‑delivering ballots rather than mailing them at this point to avoid delays.
Berkeley County voters are weighing in on several major statewide contests — including races for U.S. House, State Senate, and key constitutional offices — along with the county’s only local race on today’s ballot.
As precincts report throughout the night, The Berkeley Observer is tracking how Berkeley County voted in real time.
The latest results from the South Carolina Election Commission will be listed below after the polls close.
South Carolina Governor – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jacqueline Hicks DuBose – *Decertified before Primary
Pamela Evette
Joshua Kimbrell
Nancy Mace
Ralph W. Norman
Rom Reddy
Alan Wilson
Attorney General – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Stephen Goldfinch
David M. Pascoe
David Stumbo
Commissioner of Agriculture – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jeremy B. Cannon
Danny Ford
Cody Simpson
Fred West
U.S. Senate – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Calvin Cowen
Thomas Keith Dismukes
Lindsey Graham
Pat Herrmann
Mark Lynch
Darius L. Mitchell
U.S. House of Representatives, District 1 – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Dan Brown
Jay Byars
Jenny Costa Honeycutt
Logan Cunningham
Tyler Dykes
Kendal Ludden
Sam McCown
Alex Pelbath
Cindy Wagers Riley
Mark Sanford
Mark Smith
State House of Representatives, District 99– Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jarrod Brooks
Kristy Gore
David Herndon
Shawn Pinkston
Berkeley County Council, District 7 – Republican
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Matt Hoover
Michael Parker
Advisory Question 1: Should people have the right to register with the political party of their choice when they register to vote?
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Yes
No
Advisory Question 2: Should candidates for local school boards be able to run as a candidate of the political party of their choice, just like candidates for other elected offices?
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Yes
No
South Carolina Governor – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jermaine Johnson
Mullins McLeod
Billy Webster
Secretary of State – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jason Belton
Edwina Winter
State Treasurer – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Vincent Coe
Trav Robertson Jr.
Comptroller General – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Tiffany Boozer
Bruce K. Cole
State Superintendent of Education – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Lisa Ellis
Sylvia Wright
U.S. Senate – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Annie Andrews
Brandon P. Brown
Kyle Freeman
U.S. House of Representatives, District 1 – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Francina Dantzler
Mac Deford
Max Diaz
Ben Frasier
Matthew Fulmer
Nancy Lacore
Mayra Rivera-Vazquez
State House of Representatives, District 99– Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Jacob Goddard
Samuel Price
State House of Representatives, District 101 – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Martin Cunningham
Roger K. Kirby
Cheryl O. Lane
State House of Representatives, District 102 – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Montez Aiken
Katie McCravy
State House of Representatives, District 103 – Democrat
PRECINTS REPORTING 0%
PERCENTAGE
VOTES
Carl Anderson
Wendell M. Padgett
In South Carolina, a candidate must win more than half of all votes cast for that office to win a primary outright. If no one reaches that majority threshold, the top two vote‑getters move on to a runoff election two weeks later.
For most offices with a single seat, officials determine the majority by dividing the total number of votes cast by two — anything above that number counts as a majority. If no candidate crosses that line, the race continues in a June 23 runoff between the two leading candidates.
