Lindsey Graham’s death triggers procedures under South Carolina law for filling his U.S. Senate seat. Both reports describe a two-part process that begins with how the current vacancy is handled and then how a candidate is selected for the remainder of the term. South Carolina law calls for a temporary replacement—appointed by the state’s governor—to serve until a special Republican primary is held. That primary is scheduled for Aug. 11. After the primary, the state’s election process determines who will represent South Carolina on the ballot for the next phase of the Senate term. In the lead-up to November, the winner of the party nomination process proceeds to the general election, where voters decide who will serve the next Senate term. The governor-appointed replacement is intended to cover the gap between Graham’s death and the election timetable set out by state statutes, which extend through early January for the end of the appointed service period.