Early voting bill advances in SC Senate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A bill to implement early voting in South Carolina is making progress in the state Legislature.

A Senate subcommittee on Wednesday approved a proposal to set parameters for how the process would be handled. The legislation would allow residents to vote starting 10 days before an election and would direct local election officials to set up at least one early voting center in each county.

South Carolina technically does not have true early voting. But it’s fairly easy for people to vote absentee, either by mail or at their county election office weeks before polls open. People must give an excuse for why they can’t vote on Election Day, like being on vacation or at work.

Republicans have rejected Democrats’ previous attempts to implement early voting.

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Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP