In Columbia, South Carolina, key legislative activities are on the docket as state lawmakers prepare to tackle two significant election-related proposals this Tuesday. A central focus is the plan to revise the state’s congressional district maps, alongside a proposal to reschedule this year’s congressional primaries to a later date in the summer.
The House Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee is set to review these proposals in a morning session, as the legislative session advances toward its conclusion with limited time remaining.
The first proposal, identified as H.5683, seeks to redefine the boundaries of South Carolina’s seven U.S. House districts. This bill aims to replace the existing map by using the latest census data and voting precinct lines to redistribute the population evenly across the state, ensuring each district is roughly equal in size.
The second proposal, labeled H.5684, suggests altering the schedule for the 2026 congressional primaries.
This proposal intends to shift the primary elections from their usual June date to a special primary on the second Tuesday of August, with a potential runoff later in that month. It also proposes new deadlines for candidate filing and certification while clarifying that only votes from the August primary will be considered in determining party nominees for the November general election.
According to the Associated Press, the House is weighing whether to advance both a redistricting plan and legislation that would delay the primaries to allow time for districts to be redrawn, even as some early and military ballots have already been cast.
Any redistricting plan would also need approval in the Senate, where support is less certain. The AP reports that a two-thirds vote is required before the end of the regular session for lawmakers to continue working on redistricting afterward, adding urgency to this week’s discussions.
The issue has drawn attention from President Donald Trump, who urged South Carolina senators in a social media post to “be bold and courageous” and to move congressional primaries to August to allow time for new districts to be enacted. In the same post, Trump said he would be “watching closely” as lawmakers take up the issue.
Some, however, believe the move might make some South Carolina districts more competitive for democrats.
Former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat who previously represented the 1st Congressional District, said in posts on X that changes to the 6th District could have ripple effects elsewhere.
“Clyburn’s voters don’t vanish. They have to go somewhere,” Cunningham wrote, adding that shifting those voters could affect neighboring districts, including the 1st.
The AP reports that while Republicans hold a supermajority, some senators have also raised concerns about whether a redrawn map would produce the intended partisan outcomes or shift voters in ways that could alter the balance of seats.
State lawmakers have previously taken steps that could allow additional debate after the session ends. The House passed a sine die resolution last week that would permit members to return to Columbia to address redistricting, though the Senate has not taken action on that measure.
Lawmakers are expected to begin discussions Tuesday morning, with both the redistricting plan and the proposed primary date change before them as the General Assembly approaches its scheduled adjournment later this week.