Voters in South Carolina participated in the 2024 Republican primary election on Saturday, with early exit polls revealing key insights into their decision-making process. According to the polls, a majority of South Carolina GOP primary voters dismissed claims that former President Donald Trump is mentally unfit to serve, showing overwhelming support for Trump over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

The exit polls also indicated widespread dissatisfaction among South Carolina Republican primary voters with the current state of the nation, particularly regarding the economy. Nearly 90% of voters expressed dissatisfaction, with almost half stating they are angry about the situation - a higher percentage compared to New Hampshire primary voters.

The electorate in South Carolina was described as largely conservative, with more than 40% identifying as "very conservative," a shift from the 2016 primary where "somewhat conservative" voters outnumbered them. Additionally, nearly half of South Carolina GOP voters align themselves with the "MAGA" movement, resembling Iowa GOP caucusgoers.

White evangelicals made up a significant portion of the electorate, with about 60% identifying as such - a notable difference from the New Hampshire Republican primary. The majority of voters were White, reflecting the typical composition of Republican primary electorates.

As the polls closed at 7 p.m. ET, primary results for the South Carolina Republican primary were expected to start coming in. Leading up to the primary, Trump had an estimated 63 delegates compared to Haley's 17 delegates, with South Carolina set to allocate 50 delegates - 29 state delegates to the winner and 21 delegates allocated by congressional district.

With Trump maintaining a lead in the delegate count, the outcome of the South Carolina Republican primary will be a key factor in shaping the trajectory of the 2024 election cycle.