South Carolina Republicans will return to the polls on Tuesday for the fourth time since June to choose a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham won the June 9 Republican primary but died on July 11 from an aortic tear. The special primary on Aug. 11 resulted in Sen. Darline Graham, the senator’s sister and appointee, and Rep. Ralph Norman, a five‑term congressman, advancing to the runoff. Darline Graham received about 33% of the vote, while Norman received about 25%; Rep. Russell Fry finished third with about 20%. Graham performed strongest in central South Carolina, including the Columbia area and the Lowcountry region around Charleston, and achieved her highest percentages in counties along the Georgia border. Norman performed best in the Piedmont and Upstate regions, including Greenville, and Fry performed best in the Pee Dee and Waccamaw counties he represents. Greenville County, the state’s most populous, contributed the most votes in the primary and had been one of the few counties Graham lost in his last election. Richland and Charleston counties, which have Democratic‑leaning populations, are among the next largest contributors in Republican primaries. Horry, Lexington and Spartanburg counties also have substantial populations and influence primary outcomes. Spartanburg was the only other county Graham lost in the June primary. Former Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Graham after his primary loss. Graham has received support from Sen. Tim Scott and former President Donald Trump, who held a campaign rally with her in Myrtle Beach on Friday. Darline Graham will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician from Charleston who challenged Republican Rep. Nancy Mace in the 2022 congressional race. Graham won re‑election in 2020 with 54% of the vote, and Trump carried South Carolina in 2024 with 58%. Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Only voters who participated in the Democratic primary on June 9 or who are unaffiliated may vote in the Republican runoff; Republican primary voters are also eligible. As of Friday, South Carolina had about 3.4 million registered voters, with no party registration. Approximately 465,000 voters cast ballots in the June 9 Senate primary, and about 336,000 voted in the Aug. 11 special primary. About 19% of the Aug. 11 vote was cast early or by mail. As of Friday, roughly 45,000 ballots had been cast for the Tuesday runoff. Nearly all of South Carolina’s 46 counties release early and absentee results in the first update after polls close, typically before any Election Day results are posted. In the Aug. 11 special primary, the Associated Press first reported results at 7:13 p.m. ET, 13 minutes after polls closed, and the final update came at 11:25 p.m. ET with more than 99% of votes counted. The AP will declare a winner when it determines that no scenario exists for a trailing candidate to close the gap; otherwise it will report developments such as candidate concessions without making a projection. Recounts in South Carolina are automatic if the margin is 1% or less of the total vote; the AP may call a race subject to a recount if the lead appears insurmountable. Tuesday’s runoff occurs 70 days before the 2026 midterm elections.