President Trump will win South Carolina’s nine electoral votes in the presidential election, the Associated Press has declared.
South Carolina is a Republican stronghold. However, conservatives were put on edge by the candidacy of Jaime Harrison, a Democrat challenging longtime senator Lindsey Graham. Harrison was tied with Graham in some polls and raised almost $50 million during the third quarter, although his polling advantage dropped off in recent days.
Trump is so far projected to win 55 electoral votes in seven states, including Oklahoma and West Virginia. Rival Joe Biden holds 85 electoral votes, and is projected to win Virginia, Illinois, and several states in New England.
It is unclear if a victor will be declared on Tuesday night. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have turned to mail-in voting in record numbers, and some crucial swing states —including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin — prohibit the counting of all ballots until polls close. Some states are also permitting mail-in ballots to be processed even after Election Day, which could affect the ultimate outcome.
Over 102 million Americans voted before Election Day, either by mail or in person. When coupled with Election Day turnout, the number of voters could exceed the 138 million voters who cast ballots in 2016.
Additionally, no major threats to voters’ physical security were recorded at polling places.
“It is blissfully uneventful,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told reporters regarding the voting process. “We’ve had virtually no disturbances of any kind.”