South Carolina Election Commission Urges Voters to Prepare for June Primaries
COLUMBIA, S.C. – With the approach of September’s Presidential election and various local elections, South Carolina voters have been urged to prepare well in advance by the State Election Commission. All State House legislature seats, along with a multitude of county positions, are up for re-election this year. South Carolina’s June 11 primary elections are barely a month away, and early voting is due to open in less than a fortnight.
Early Voter Options
John Michael Catalano, Public Information Officer for the South Carolina Election Commission, implored voters to finalize their plans on voting procedure. According to a 2022 state law, registered voters can vote during an early voting period that lasts two weeks prior to the election day. This early voting period is set to begin on May 28. Voters planning to participate in early voting can do so at any early voting center in their county of residence.
Voting Day Precautions
For those opting to vote on election day, the Commission urges voters to confirm their polling place location beforehand, as they have been known to change annually based on scheduling conflicts and other factors. Additionally, photo ID will be required for in-person voting.
Vote by Mail
To be eligible for voting by mail, voters must satisfy one of several requirements, such as work obligations, sickness or physical disability, confinement to jail or pretrial facilities, temporary absence from county of residence, or being over the age of 65, among others.
The Election Commission suggests that those planning to vote by mail should begin the process with urgency. “The first step is requesting your ballot…you get that application and return it back to the county election office no later than 5 p.m. on May 31,” Catalano elaborated. Prospective mail-in voters can obtain applications from their county election offices.
Candidate Awareness
The Election Commission also provides an online sample ballot, aiding voters to familiarize themselves with their candidates. Catalano strongly urged voters to decide on their candidates prior to voting, adding that while South Carolina’s primaries are open, voters can only vote in one party’s primaries.
