Initial results from the exit poll for South Carolina's Republican presidential primary show that the electorate in the state leans heavily conservative, similar to Iowa rather than New Hampshire. Over 4 in 10 primary voters align themselves with the MAGA movement, while roughly 8 in 10 identify as conservatives, with more than 4 in 10 considering themselves very conservative.

In the primary race, former President Donald Trump is leading, reminiscent of his victory in the Iowa caucuses where he garnered 51% of the vote. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is trailing in third place behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who exited the race. In New Hampshire, Trump also emerged as the frontrunner with 54% of the vote compared to Haley's 43%.

The exit poll data, while informative, are not yet adjusted to match the final results of the primary as they are preliminary and subject to estimates. Most of the GOP primary voters in South Carolina had made their decision regarding whom to support well before 2024 officially commenced, with over three-quarters declaring their choice prior to January.

Themes that resonated with voters varied, with some prioritizing a candidate who would fight for them, while others sought someone who shared their values. Nearly 9 in 10 Trump supporters expressed their vote as being in support of him, whereas about 4 in 10 Haley voters indicated their vote was more of an opposition to Trump.

The exit poll was carried out by Edison Research for the National Election Pool, gathering information from 1,508 Republican primary voters across 38 polling places on Election Day. The samples come with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

This is an evolving story and more details may emerge as further information becomes available.