How might early voting rules and the compressed special-election schedule shape turnout in South Carolina’s Senate runoff?

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South Carolina’s rules and the unusually short runoff calendar are likely to hold turnout down and concentrate participation among the most attentive eligible voters. The biggest structural factor is time. Early voting runs only three days, Aug. 19 through Aug. 21, before the Aug. 25 runoff. That gives campaigns little time to re-contact primary voters, persuade supporters of eliminated candidates, and educate people about where and when to vote. The absentee process is even tighter: applications are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14, just three days after the primary, and ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. That short window can suppress participation among older voters, people with inflexible work schedules, and anyone who decides late to vote. Eligibility rules also narrow the pool. Only voters who cast a Republican ballot in June, voted in the special Republican primary, or skipped the June primaries can participate. Anyone who voted in the June Democratic primary cannot. In a runoff, that usually means a smaller electorate made up of habitual primary voters and highly motivated partisans rather than a broad cross-section of registrants. The compressed schedule also creates administrative risks. South Carolina election officials have already said the special-election timeline is shorter than the normal federal schedule, and military and overseas voters are being told to check UOCAVA guidance. Some overseas voters are protected because instant-runoff ballots were i…

Davidson Brands Graham 'Swamp Ally' Before Aug. 25 South Carolina GOP Senate Runoff

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Davidson Brands Graham 'Swamp Ally' Before Aug. 25 South Carolina GOP Senate Runoff

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