What to expect in elections in South Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma

These special and run-off elections will continue setting the stage for November’s midterm elections.Ralph Norman and Darline Graham are competing in a Republican primary in South Carolina to become the party's candidate in a US Senate election [File: AP Photo]Published On 25 Aug 2026Voters in three US states – South Carolina, Georgia and Oklahoma – are headed back to the polls for elections, including run-offs in South Carolina and Oklahoma after a host of candidates didn’t meet the threshold to win their primaries outright.A special election will also be held in Georgia to fill a United States congressional seat that is empty after the death of a lawmaker.With the Republican Party’s slim majorities in both the US Senate and House of Representatives, each of these elections on Tuesday will be closely watched to see who will be on the ballot in the November midterm elections.Here’s what to know:South Carolina When do polls open? 7am (11:00 GMT) When do polls close? 7pm (23:00 GMT) South Carolina Republicans will return to the polls for the second time since June to replace the late Senator Lindsey Graham on November’s ballot.During his 23 years in the US Senate, Graham developed a reputation as one of the most hawkish voices in Congress, advocating for military intervention in Iran, Iraq and elsewhere. An ally of President Donald Trump, he had sailed to victory in South Carolina’s Republican primary race on June 9. His unexpected death two days later created a vacancy not only for his current US Senate seat but also as the party’s pick to compete for another six-year term.The finalists for the Republican nomination are Graham’s sister, Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of her brother’s current term, and Representative Ralph Norman, a five-term congressman who ran for governor this year and placed third in the primary.Darline Graham placed first in the August 11 special primary but fell shy of the majority of votes needed to avoid Tuesday’s run-off. She received about 33 percent of the vote, compared with about 25 percent for Norman.Darline Graham swept the counties across central South Carolina, including the Columbia area, as well as the state’s Lowcountry region, which includes Charleston. She scored her highest percentages in counties along the Georgia border. Norman performed best in the state’s Piedmont and Upstate regions, including the Greenville area.Darline Graham has key backing from Republican Senator Tim Scott and Trump, who was an early proponent of Darline Graham and held a campaign rally with her on Friday in Myrtle Beach.The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November.Oklahoma When do polls open? 7am (12:00 GMT) When do polls close? 7pm (00:00 GMT) Oklahoma Republicans will settle an expensive nomination fight for governor while Democrats will pick a nominee for a US Senate seat. Voters will also decide two statewide ballot measures, including one that would add a voter identification requirement to the state constitution.The outcome of the gubernatorial primary to replace term-limited Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has major implications for November’s election as Democrats haven’t won the Oklahoma governorship in 20 years. It will also further test Trump’s endorsement power.State Attorney General Gentner Drummond and former state Senator Mike Mazzei were the top vote-getters among nine candidates in the June 16 primary with Drummond just edging out Mazzei, 26.25 percent to 25.97 percent. Both fell far short of the majority needed to avoid Tuesday’s run-off.The two have poured millions from their personal fortunes into the race with Mazzei loaning his campaign more than $11m, compared with $3m for Drummond, according to state campaign finance records. Mazzei has spent $12.3m in the race overall while Drummond has spent about $9.1m. Loans aside, Drummond has far outraised Mazzei in campaign contributions, $7.1m to about $1.5m.Trump endorsed Mazzei before the primary and lobbed insults at Drummond. Trump’s picks overall in 2026 have had a strong record at the ballot box, but his endorsement is not a guarantee of victory, especially in gubernatorial primaries.The Oklahoma winner will face Democratic state House of Representatives Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in November.In the US Senate race, nurse N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas received about 45 percent of the Democratic primary vote, short of the majority required to avoid a run-off. Lawyer and minister Jim Priest placed second with about 24 percent of the vote despite a significant fundraising advantage. He raised almost six times more than Thomas heading into the primary and has increased his advantage heading into the run-off. As of August 5, the Thomas campaign reported having only $455 in the bank, compared with about $56,000 for Priest.The winner will face Republican US Representative Kevin Hern, who won a five-way primary with about 70 percent of the vote.Also before voters is State Question 846, which would amend the state constitution to require voters to provide proof of identity to cast a ballot, which is already required under state law. State Question 844 would affect the reimbursements that local governments receive from the state for lost property tax revenue under an incentive programme for manufacturing companies.Residents of Georgia’s 13th Congressional District outside Atlanta will get a new representative in Congress after a special election run-off on Tuesday to replace the late Democratic US Representative David Scott, who died on April 22.The contest between two Democrats will further reduce an already thin Republican majority in the US House.The finalists for the seat are former Gwinnett County School Board Chairman Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of the late congressman. They were the top two vote-getters among five contenders in the July 28 all-party special election. Marcye Scott received about 46 percent of the vote, compared with 38 percent for Blair.The winner will serve out the remaining few months of David Scott’s final term. Neither candidate is running in November for the next full term in this seat, which begins on January 3.