Already more than 190,000 South Carolina voters have requested absentee ballot applications, and nearly 160,000 absentee ballots have been issued.
In South Carolina, 11 reasons qualify you to vote absentee.
-Persons who will be outside their county of residence on Election Day
-Members of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marine, and their spouses and dependents residing with them
-Persons who, for reasons of employment, will not be able to vote on election day
-Physically disabled persons
-Persons sixty-five years of age or older
-Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
-Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on day of election or within a four-day period before the election
-Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
-Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
-Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
-Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
If you must vote absentee by mail, you should begin the process as soon as possible to ensure your ballot is returned prior to the deadline. The voter must first request an application from your county voter registration office. The application is mailed to the voter. The voter returns the completed application. The county voter registration office mails the ballot to the voter. The voter returns the completed ballot.
Deadline to return absentee by mail application: 5:00 p.m., Friday, Oct. 31st (Again, voters should apply as early as possible to ensure their ballots are returned on time.)
Deadline to return absentee ballot: 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 4th
Absentee in Person: Voters may vote absentee in person at their county voter registration office.
Deadline to vote absentee in person: 5:00 p.m., Monday, Nov. 3rd
Contact information for your county voter registration office can be found at the website link below.
