South Carolina 2024 Republican Primary: Everything you need to know as the first polls open and Donald Trump looks to crush Nikki Haley in her home state

South Carolina is the fourth and final early contest state in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and voters in the state will have their chance to weigh-in on their preferred candidate on Saturday.

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was hoping for a boost in her home state as she remains the last serious contender to try and foil former President Donald Trump's chances of a third straight GOP nomination.

But polling leading up to Election Day show Haley trailing the former president by an average of 30 points.

DailyMail.com breaks down what to watch on primary Election Day in South Carolina.

THE BATTLE FOR SOUTH CAROLINA: Former President Donald Trump (left) and Nikki Haley (right) are the two final GOP primary candidates. He held a rally in Rock Hill Friday, while she appeared in Mount Pleasant at the Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum

Signs for former President Donald Trump and Republican rival Nikki Haley are seen at an intersection in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a day before the Palmetto State primary 

VOTING DAY INFORMATION

South Carolina had several days of early voting, where constituents could go to their polling places before Saturday to cast their ballots February 12-22.

Polling places on Election Day on Saturday, February 23 open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. – though voters who are in line at the time of closure will be permitted to cast their ballots.

Primary results usually start to filter in shortly after poll closures depending on processing time for the ballots.

Trump is holding an election night shindig in Columbia, South Carolina, the state capital, while Haley will address supporters from Charleston after voting mid-morning at her Kiawah Island polling place. 

WHO CAN VOTE?

South Carolina holds an open primary, meaning motivated Democrats and independent voters can come out on Election Day to cast their preferred ballot.

This also opens up the potential for protest voting.

Some Trump supporters think Haley could get a boost from the backing of moderate and left-leaning residents, including from registered Democrats. 

Registered voters in South Carolina can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary, but not both.

South Carolina held early voting from February 12 to February 22. A woman in Columbia, South Carolina participates in early voting on Thursday, the final day to cast a ballot before the polls opened at 7 a.m. Saturday for Election Day 

The Trump faithful gathered Friday afternoon in Rock Hill, South Carolina for the ex-president's final Palmetto State rally before Election Day voting got underway 

SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY

South Carolina's primary looked a bit different this year for Democrats.

While the state allows Democrats and Republicans pick the date of their respective presidential primary elections, it is usually the fourth voting contest state for both major U.S. political parties.

But this year, Democrats decided they wanted the Palmetto State to hold the first primary contest – opting for a more diverse first contest state than Iowa or New Hampshire.

Biden easily won the Democratic primary in South Carolina on February 3 with 96 percent of the vote.

WHAT SOUTH CAROLINA VOTERS ARE SAYING AHEAD OF THE PRIMARY

Even in Haley's hometown of Bamberg, DailyMail.com found that a majority of voters heading to the polls are supportive of Trump. 

'I voted for the winner,' 79-year-old Mike of Bamberg County said Thursday as he exited an early voting location. Pressed on who that was he offered, 'Mr. Trump.'

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge that connects Charleston to Mount Pleasant is seen in the background from Nikki Haley's final campaign stop in her home state of South Carolina before Election Day voting kicked off Saturday 

A South Carolina voter participates in early voting on Thurday in Columbia, South Carolina 

One issue that has resonated has been Trump's recent jab that Haley's husband - who is in the U.S. military and deployed - is avoiding her by being in Africa. 

'What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband?' the former president asked at a Conway, South Carolina rally earlier this month. 'Where is he? He's gone. He knew. He knew.' 

Suzanne Zimmermann, a 54-year-old retired school teacher from Fripp Island, told DailyMail.com she hopes comments like that will turn things around for Haley. 

'I know she has a long way to go,' Zimmermann, who was attending Haley's Wednesday night rally in Beaufort relented. 

I'm hoping people will - especially when he says things like, you know, asking where her husband is - I'm hoping he will continue to shoot himself in the foot enough to where people will say ... why would we want that?' Zimmermann added. 

Mimbee Ray, 71-year-old retired office manager from Denmark who knows Haley personally, also brought up Trump's husband insult. 

She called Trump 'too vocal' adding 'especially like criticizing where's her husband.' 

A female supporter of Nikki Haley attends the former governor's final South Carolina rally Friday evening in Mount Pleasant 

A drone shot shows the scene of Nikki Haley's final South Carolina rally - at the Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum, which is located in Mount Pleasant, across from the city of Charleston 

'He's fighting in our military. And then by saying our military people are stupid or whatever, that was just not good,' Ray added.  

But for Trump's faithful, questioning Michael Haley's whereabouts was totally above board. 

'And here's a question. Where is her husband? That's a good question. Why be insulted,' said Kathy, a 76-year-old Trump supporter from Bamberg County.

WHAT'S NEXT?

If Trump wins South Carolina on Saturday, which is the most likely outcome, the primary will continue if Haley decides to stay in the race.

Ultimately, any candidate looking to earn the nomination needs to earn 1,215 delegates – and 50 are up for grabs in South Carolina.

Haley has so far earned 17 delegates to Trump's 63 after Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and the U.S. Virginia Islands weighed-in this year.

During a 'state of the race' speech on Tuesday, Haley insisted she is 'far from' dropping out. 

She has repeatedly said she plans to stay in the running until Super Tuesday on March 5, which is when 15 different states will hold concurrent primaries.

If polling predictions come to fruition on Saturday and Haley loses her home state, her chances of remaining a viable candidate slips even further.