Nearly 950,000 South Carolinians had already voted in person by Friday, setting a new early-voting record for a gubernatorial election.
York County recorded 54,933 early voters, the fifth-highest total in the state. Only Greenville, Charleston, Richland and Horry counties had more.
The latest statewide report shows 948,592 early ballots cast through Friday, Oct. 30. Friday was also the busiest day of the early-voting period, with 110,172 people casting ballots.
Early voting began Oct. 19 and ended Saturday. South Carolina had already broken its previous gubernatorial-election record of 561,563 early votes several days before the period closed.
The turnout comes ahead of several major statewide races Tuesday.
Republican Darline Graham faces Democrat Annie Andrews in one of the state’s most closely watched U.S. Senate contests. Libertarian Kasie Whitener and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett are also on the ballot.
The race brought President Donald Trump to Rock Hill on Thursday, where he campaigned for Graham at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center. The visit came just five days before Election Day and followed another South Carolina rally eight days earlier.
Rock Hill is congressman Ralph Norman’s home turf, who recently ran two failed pollical campaigns for governor and for senate, losing the senate primary race to Darline Graham.
Ralph recently said that he refuses to campaign with her, and that his family will not vote for her.
His son Warren said he met with Andrews and found common ground on issues including corruption and insurance reform.
South Carolina voters will also choose their next governor.
Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson faces Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, along with Green Party candidate Walid Hakim and United Citizens Party candidate Michael Addison.
South Carolina does not register voters by political party, so the state does not provide an official Republican-versus-Democratic breakdown of early voters.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters who did not vote early must cast their ballot at their assigned Election Day polling place and should bring an accepted photo ID.
