2 weeks of early voting in SC is underway

Voting is underway in South Carolina in an election that could change control of Congress and is guaranteed to usher in new administrations in state government.

Two weeks of early voting began Monday morning. Locations are open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31, with one exception: There is no voting Oct. 25. State law forbids voting on Sundays.

The race getting the most attention nationally will decide whether U.S. Sen. Darline Graham wins her first election to keep the seat she was appointed to following the death of her older brother, Lindsey Graham, or whether Democrat Annie Andrews flips it blue.

South Carolina hasn’t had a Democrat in the U.S. Senate since Fritz Hollings retired in January 2005.

Voters will also decide who will be South Carolina’s next governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner and comptroller general. Other statewide races with incumbents running are superintendent of education, treasurer, and secretary of state.

All 46 counties have at least one early voting location.

Four counties have seven locations open, the maximum allowed by state law: Charleston, Florence, Greenville and Horry.

The counties with six locations open are Aiken, Berkeley, Lexington, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg and York.

Voters can choose whatever location is most convenient within the county where they’re registered, whether that’s close to home, work or shopping. Early voters aren’t bound by home address.

That changes for Election Day, Nov. 3, when people must vote in their assigned precinct.