More than 120,000 vote early in South Carolina primary

Voters in South Carolina are heading to the polls today to cast their ballots in the state's Democratic and Republican primary elections, but thousands have already done so.

Before polls had a chance to open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 120,000 South Carolinians had already voted during the state's two-week early voting period from May 28 to June 7, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. Latest voting numbers reveal that Friday was the busiest day for early voters across the state. In-person voting will continue at polling locations until 7 p.m. local.

Greenville, Lexington, and Richland counties had the highest early voter turnout. As of Friday, 12,946 had voted in Greenville, 7,844 in Lexington, and 7,049 in Richland.

More:Critical primaries in four states on Tuesday loom large for fall elections

Several congressional races are on the ballot in the Palmetto State's local primary:

The 1st Congressional District race between Republican Representative Nancy Mace and former state cabinet official Catherine Templeton, who served under then-Gov. Nikki Haley.

State Representative Adam Morgan (R-Greenville) is challenging incumbent U.S. Representative William Timmons in the 4th Congressional District.

Mace and Timmons have received endorsements from former President Donald Trump, who won the state in 2020 and 2016. In February, he also won the state's Republican presidential primary.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

The state's 3rd Congressional District is crowded with seven candidates after Republican U.S. Representative Jeff Duncan announced he would not seek re-election in January.

In South Carolina, if no candidate receives a majority of votes, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a runoff election two weeks following the primary.

Rachel Barber is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_