Sumter early voting sees more than 10K ballots in first 5 days at 4 locations

Early voting began Oct. 21, and Sumterites have made their presence known at the polls. According to Voter Registration and Elections Director Patricia Jefferson, early voting sites have seen more than 2,000 voters a day, and by Friday, Oct. 25, about 10,000 voters participated in early voting.

"I'm so happy with the turnout, and we have more than enough machines to accommodate every voter that comes in," Jefferson said.

Though the polls have seen an influx of voters, Jefferson said the longest wait time has been 15 minutes.

Be sure to bring your ID with you to early voting, and Jefferson said an ID with a barcode to scan is preferable.

Early voting is from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and the last day will be Nov. 2.

Sumter's early voting sites are as follows:

- Sumter County Voter Registration Office, 129 E. Liberty St., Sumter;

- Catchall-Shaw Community Center, 2680 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell;

- Eastern Community Center, 3675 East Brewington Road, Sumter; and

- F.J. DeLaine Elementary School, 5355 Cane Savannah Road, Wedgefield.

Early voting is also available now in Clarendon and Lee counties.

You can vote from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Office, 3 S. Church St., Manning.

For more information on early voting in Clarendon, visit the CCVR office or call (803) 435-8215.

In Lee County, you can vote from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at:

- Lee County Board of Voter Registration & Elections, 101 Gregg St. Bishopville; and

- Lynchburg Old Police Station, 106 Main St. Lynchburg.

If you select the straight-ticket option, be aware that because Sumter's races such as Sumter City Council Ward 4, Sumter mayor and Sumter School District Board of Trustees Areas 1, 2, 7 and 9 are nonpartisan, they will require individual selection of candidates and will not autofill when selecting the straight-ticket option. Those races will be listed at the bottom of the ballot.

This election year's ballot will also contain the Capital Projects (Penny) Sales Tax Referendum as well as a constitutional amendment question. Samples of the amendment question will be given to those waiting in line to vote.The proposed question is as follows: "Must Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State, relating to voter qualifications, be amended so as to provide that only a citizen of the United States and of this State of the age of eighteen and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law?"