The deadline for independent candidates to submit petitions to be on the November ballot in South Carolina passed at noon on Monday, July 16. According to this news story, almost two dozen candidates had already submitted petitions by the time the story was filed, and it was filed several hours before the deadline. Check back here for an update once the final number is known.

South Carolina has only elected one independent candidate to its legislature in the history of government-printed ballots, but it seems somewhat likely that it will elect several this year. Almost 250 candidates who wanted to run in Democratic and Republican primaries this year were eliminated from primary ballots, and many of them resolved to then become independent candidates. South Carolina does not have registration by party so whether anyone is an independent depends strictly on the individual’s state of mind.