Staff reports | You don’t have to wait until Nov. 7 to cast a ballot.
No-excuse early voting in more than 200 local elections and some special elections starts Monday. Across South Carolina, voters will pick mayors in larger cities, such as Charleston, North Charleston and Greenville. And dozens of seats on everything from city councils to public works commissions will be filled.
“Early voting gives voters more options, more time and more power to make their voices heard,” said Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Elections Executive Director Isaac Cramer. “Our early voting centers allow voters to choose when and where to cast their ballots without worrying about long lines, bad weather or unexpected emergencies on Election Day.”
In general, voters can head to the ballot box early from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 23 to Nov. 3, except on Sundays. For locations, contact your local elections office, according to the State Election Commission.
Voters will be asked to show a current and valid photo ID when checking in at an early voting center. Valid IDs include S.C. driver’s licenses, S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles ID cards, S.C. voter registration cards with photos, federal military IDs or U.S. passports.
Other forms of voting:
- Absentee ballots. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Contact your local election office to be mailed an application and the process.
- Election day. Voters can cast their ballots in person from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 7. Voters can use S.C. Votes to find their polling location, review a sample ballot and more.
A little election fun
Poll workers in Charleston County will be handing out stickers featuring designs from this year’s three winners of the county election office’s first-ever “I Voted!” sticker design contest during the early voting period. The special stickers will be handed out as voters scan their ballots while supplies last.
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