WASHINGTON — On November 5, South Carolina will hold its general election, featuring presidential candidates and other local races, albeit with less enthusiasm compared to the early primaries held in February. This cycle, voters will choose from former President Donald Trump, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, and five other third-party candidates vying for the state’s nine electoral votes. Historically, South Carolina has leaned Republican, with the last Democrat to win there being Jimmy Carter in 1976. In the previous election, Trump won by approximately 22 points.

Aside from the presidential race, South Carolinians will also elect their representatives for the U.S. House and the state Legislature. There is one notable statewide ballot initiative, which proposes a requirement for proof of citizenship to cast a vote. This measure aligns with a wider Republican agenda across the country, even though it is already illegal for noncitizens to participate in federal elections and evidence suggests that such occurrences are infrequent.

Of the seven sitting representatives in South Carolina, six are running for re-election. However, Rep. Jeff Duncan, a seven-term incumbent from the 3rd Congressional District, has announced he will not seek another term. In his place, Republican Sheri Biggs is expected to win after overcoming a Trump-endorsed challenger in this strongly Republican district. Should Biggs succeed, she would join Rep. Nancy Mace from the 1st District, marking the first time South Carolina sends two Republican women to Congress.

There are no U.S. Senate or state executive positions on this year’s ballot. South Carolina has traditionally had low rates of early voting, and it is among the few states that still require valid reasons for absentee balloting. Even in the 2020 election, influenced by the pandemic, only a third of ballots were submitted by mail.

Typically, South Carolina resolves its election results on the night of the vote, with very few ballots (about 5%) counted after Election Day in prior general elections since 2014.

As for the election procedure, details for November 5 include a closing time for polls at 7 p.m. ET and allocation of nine electoral votes to the statewide victor. Highlighted candidates in the presidential race are Harris (D), Trump (R), Cornel West (United Citizens), Jill Stein (Green), Chase Oliver (Libertarian), among others. The ballot also includes a measure, Amendment 1, which mandates verifying citizenship to vote.

In terms of voting dynamics, South Carolina’s past election statistics show that in the 2020 presidential election, Trump garnered 55% of the vote compared to Biden’s 43%. As of early October 2024, there were 3,389,571 registered voters, with a turnout rate of 72% in 2020.

In 2020, about 53% of total votes were submitted before Election Day, whereas that number decreased to around 36% in 2022. The timeline for vote counting is also notably efficient, with first reports coming in shortly after polls close, often within the first few hours.

While voters prepare for the upcoming elections, South Carolina’s outcomes could reflect larger national trends, highlighting the significant interplay between local and federal political landscapes.