South Carolina primary: Final days of absentee voting bring heavy turnout in Greenville

After months of buildup, South Carolina's Democratic voters finally have their say on Saturday.

The state's Democratic Presidential Preference Primary takes place Feb. 29, with seven candidates on the ballot vying to take on President Donald Trump in the November general election.

As of Thursday afternoon, 5,147 voters had cast absentee ballots in Greenville County, Conway Belangia, the county's elections director, told the News on Friday.

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In 2016, with only two Democrats on the ballot, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, there were 3,230 absentee voters in the Democratic primary, while the 2016 Republican primary, with six candidates, drew 4,925 voters casting absentee ballots, Belangia said.

The final week of pre-primary voting brought heavy turnout, Belangia said, and the number of voters was "about on par with expectations."

Absentee voting ends at 5 p.m. Friday, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.