SEC Reminds Voters of Absentee Deadlines ahead of August 11 Special Republican Primary

Posted on July 23, 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. (July 24, 2026) –The State Election Commission (SEC) is providing important absentee voting information for the August 11 Special Republican Primary, including key deadlines for voters casting absentee ballots and updated guidance for military and overseas voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

Absentee Voting Information

Qualified voters can vote absentee by mail. Examples include: A person with a physical disability, someone age 65 or older, and a person whose job prevents them from voting during early voting and election day.
To see a full list of qualifying reasons, visit the absentee voting page on scVOTES.gov.
To vote absentee by mail, get an application by contacting the county voter registration and elections office.
The deadline to return an absentee application is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 31.
After receiving and completing the ballot, voters must be sure to sign the oath and have the signature witnessed.
Anyone age 18 or older can witness the signature. A notary is not necessary.
Return the ballot by mail or personal delivery as soon as possible.
- Ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, August 11.
- Ballots should be mailed no later than one week prior to Election Day to help ensure timely delivery.
- Voters must present Photo ID if returning an absentee ballot in person.
Additional information about assistance from an Immediate Family Member or Authorized Representative requesting an absentee ballot is available at scVOTES.gov.

UOCAVA Voting Information

Ballots will be sent using each voter's current delivery method. Due to the tight timeframe between candidate certification and Election Day, voters receiving ballots by mail are strongly encouraged to contact their county voter registration and election office and switch to email delivery.
Ballots may be returned by mail, email, or fax.
Ballots must be received by county voter registration and elections offices by the deadlines below:
- Electronic Delivery: No later than 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (Election Day)
- Mail Delivery: Must be mailed no later than 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (Election Day) and received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Primary ballots will include an Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) ballot. This ballot allows voters to rank the primary candidates and will serve as their vote if there is a runoff on August 25.

Eligible voters may also vote a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) which they can access at any time at FVAP.gov.
Voters with questions or those needing to update their voter registration information should contact their county voter registration and election office as soon as possible.

For additional information about absentee voting, including UOCAVA, visit scVOTES.gov.

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