Election 2024: South Carolina absentee voting

On May 13, 2022, Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law legislation passed by the General Assembly that establishes early voting and makes significant changes to the absentee voting process. Absentee voting allows qualified voters to cast a ballot by mail prior to Election Day. In-person absentee voting is no longer authorized by law, as voters can now participate in early voting.

Who can vote absentee

• People with employment obligations that prevent them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.
• People attending a sick or physically disabled person which prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.
• People confined to a jail or pretrial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial that prevents them from voting during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.
• People who will be absent from their county of residence during early voting hours for the duration of the early voting period, and during the hours the polls are open on Election Day.
• People with physical disabilities.
• People 65 years of age or older.
• Members of the armed forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses and dependents living with them
• Persons admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within a four-day period before the election.

How to vote absentee

Voters must apply for an absentee ballot by completing and returning an absentee application to their county voter registration office by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25.

Step 1: Get your application

• You can submit your request for an application as early as Jan. 1 of the election year.
• Call, visit or send your request by U.S. mail to your county voter registration office.
• You must provide your name, date of birth and last four digits of your Social Security number.
• You will be mailed an application.

Step 2: Complete, sign and return the application

• Return the application by U.S. mail or personal delivery to your county voter registration office as soon as possible.
• The deadline to return your application is 5 p.m. on the 11th day prior to the election.

Step 3: Receive your absentee ballot in the mail

• Voters who have applied early will be mailed their absentee ballot approximately 30 days before the election.

Step 4: Vote and return the ballot

• Return your ballot to your county voter registration office or an early voting center either by mail or personal delivery.
• Must present photo ID when returning the ballot return envelope.
• Acceptable photo IDs:
  • Driver’s license issued by a state within the United States
  • Another form of identification containing a photograph issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles or its equivalent by a state within the United States
  • Passport
  • Military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal government
  • South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter.

• Place the ballot in the “ballot here-in” envelope and place the “ballot here-in” envelope in the return envelope.
• Be sure to sign the voter’s oath and have your signature witnessed. Anyone age 18 or older can witness your signature. A notary is not necessary.
• Ballots must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
• Ballots returned by mail should be mailed no later than one week prior to Election Day to help ensure timely delivery.

Requesting an application for another voter

Immediate family member

• Includes spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law.
• May request the voter’s application by calling or visiting your county voter registration office or sending the request via the U.S. Postal Service to your county voter registration office.
• Must provide the voter’s name, date of birth and last four digits of voter’s Social Security number.
• Must provide the requestor’s name, address, date of birth and relation to the voter.
• Requestors are limited to five requests in addition to their own per election.

Authorized representative

• Must sign an oath that he meets the requirements of being an authorized representative by completing the authorized representative form.
• Must request application in person or by mail (may not request by phone).
• Must be a registered voter.
• Must have permission to act on behalf of a voter who is unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability resulting in his confinement in a hospital, sanatorium, nursing home or place of residence, or is unable because of a physical handicap to go to his polling place or because of a handicap is unable to vote at his polling place due to existing architectural barriers that deny him physical access to the polling place, voting booth, or voting apparatus or machinery.
• A candidate, a member of a candidate’s paid campaign staff or a campaign volunteer may not serve as an authorized representative unless the person is a member of the voter’s immediate family.
• Requestors are limited to five requests in addition to their own per election.

Returning an application for another voter

Immediate family members and authorized representatives must return the voter’s application to the voter’s county voter registration office in person (mailing NOT allowed).

Returning an absentee ballot for another voter

Immediate family members and authorized representative

• Voter and person returning the ballot must complete and sign the authorized returnee form.
• Must return the ballot return envelope in person at the voter’s county voter registration office or an early voting center in the voter’s county of residence (mailing is NOT allowed).
• Must present the authorized returnee form and photo ID when returning the ballot return envelope.
• Acceptable photo IDs:
  • Driver’s license issued by a state within the United States
  • Another form of identification containing a photograph issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles or its equivalent by a state within the United States
  • Passport
  • Military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal government
  • South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter.

• Returnees are limited to five returns in addition to their own per election.
  • Returning more than five ballots for other voters is now a felony crime punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or five years in prison, or both.

Voters admitted to hospital as emergency patient

• Voters admitted to the hospital as an emergency patient on the day of the election or within four days of the election can have an immediate family member apply for and deliver a ballot to them.

This information is in The Sumter Item's Vote 2024 Guide to the General Election special newspaper section. To read it online, no subscription required, go to https://issuu.com/theitem/docs/2024_votersguide_issuu.