Absentee Deadlines Fast Approaching

COLUMBIA, SC (May 29, 2014) - The State Election Commission wants voters to be aware of upcoming deadlines for voting by absentee ballot in the June 10 Statewide Primaries.  As of today, nearly 18,000 absentee ballots had been issued statewide.  In comparison, approximately 23,000 absentee ballots were cast in the 2010 Statewide Primaries (the last gubernatorial election year primary).

Qualified voters (reasons listed below) may vote absentee in person or by mail:

IN PERSON - Visit your county voter registration office , complete an application, and cast your ballot.  You may vote absentee in person up until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 9.

BY MAIL -

Step 1:        Get the application online at scVOTES.org.   Follow this link to get your application online.  To get your application online, you must be able to print your application.

-OR-

Request an application from your county voter registration office by phone, mail, email, or fax.   You will be mailed an application. 

Step 2:  Complete and sign the application and return it to your county voter registration office as soon as possible and no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 6.  You can return the application by mail, fax, or email.

Step 3:  You will be mailed an absentee ballot.

Step 4:  Vote the ballot following ballot instructions and return it to your county voter registration office no later than 7:00 p.m. on June 10.  You may return the ballot personally or by mail. 

Visit scVOTES.org to check your voter registration and absentee ballot status and get your sample ballot.

Voters qualified to vote by absentee ballot:

1.      Students attending school outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents

2.      Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine serving outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them (click here for additional information)

3.      Persons serving with the American Red Cross or United Service Organizations (USO) serving with the Armed Forces outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents

4.      Persons who, for reasons of employment, will not be able to vote on election day

5.      Physically disabled persons

6.      Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them

7.      Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election

8.      Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day

9.      Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day

10.  Overseas Citizens (click here for additional information)

11.  Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons

12.  Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election

13.  Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day

14.  Persons sixty-five years of age or older

15.  Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial

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