POLLS OPEN: SC voters cast ballots early thanks to new legislation

ORANGEBURG, SC (WOLO) — Primary elections may be in two weeks but Tuesday South Carolinians took to the polls.

That is thanks to new legislation passed by lawmakers this session that allows for early voting.

“More than half the people voted before election day. That really showed me that South Carolinians wanted the option to vote early. I think the General Assembly saw that and that’s what we have today,” said Chris Whitmire, executive director of the South Carolina State Election Commission.

Congressman Clyburn was one of the first voters on Tuesday. 

“I congratulate the legislature for having early, no-excuse voting for two weeks,” Clyburn said. “I wish they had allowed Saturday and Sunday for people that have to work. If you work five days a week, you still have to get off work to vote early.”

Just like the congressman, you can go to a voter registration center in your county this week or next week, present a picture ID and fill out a ballot. 

“When you vote, you mark your ballot and print out that ballot card. Look at it and make sure it’s what you want it to be,” Whitmire said. “If it’s not, tell a poll manager. You can spoil that ballot and vote again.”

According to the state’s election commission director, voters can be confident in South Carolina’s election process. The new voting bill goes even further to protect election integrity.

“We have always done auditing. We’ve done hand-count audits before but we’ll be implementing some new additional auditing programs this year,” Whitmire said.

Senator Clyburn applauds the early voting part of the bill but believes more could be done to make it easier for people to vote and still keep elections fair and accurate.

“Same day registration. You can have all kinds of way to make it easier to vote,” the House majority whip said. “They got rid of voting by mail, but I think you can have restrictions on voting by mail and still have a good process. In some states, 100 percent of voting is by mail.”

South Carolina is not allowing early voting by mail, but the election commission director says you can find shorter lines and an easy process at your county’s voter registration office through next Friday. 

“On that Friday that early voting ends, those centers will close and the Election Day polling places will open,” Whitmire said. “On Election Day, you have to go to your assigned polling place which should be somewhere relatively close to where you live.”