SC to see flood of mail-in absentee ballots under COVID-19 expansion, officials say
South Carolina election officials say they’re preparing for a potential flood of mail-in absentee ballot requests after Gov. Henry McMaster on Wednesday signed into law a bill to expand absentee voting in the June primary due to COVID-19.
Of the state’s more than 3.3 million registered primary voters, the State Election Commission as of Wednesday had received nearly 100,000 absentee ballot applications — already thousands more than the roughly 60,000 absentee ballots cast in each of the 2016 and 2018 statewide primaries, said commission spokesman Chris Whitmire.
The number of ballots requested so far still lags far behind the number of absentee votes counted in a general election, especially one with a presidential race topping the ticket.
For example, in the 2016 general election featuring the race between now President Donald Trump and then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, 516,755 South Carolinians voted absentee, Whitmire said. Of those votes cast, 139,914 were sent by mail.
Another 370,072 ballots were cast by in-person absentee voting.
“It could start to approach that number,” Whitmire said, referring to absentee ballots cast in the 2016 presidential general election numbers, most comparable to 2020. “Then, that was the highest volume of absentee voting. We expect to pass that in 2020 if those trends continue. We’re well on our way to blowing that record out of the way.”
A temporary change in law
During its quick return to the state Capitol on Tuesday, the General Assembly fast-tracked a Senate proposal to expand absentee voting to any South Carolina voter registered to vote in the June 9 primary and the subsequent runoffs.
Passage of that bill came only hours after the S.C. Supreme Court heard arguments to make voting easier because of COVID-19.
But its adoption also came as county election leaders warned that shortages of poll workers — many of whom are over 65 and are vulnerable to catching the virus — and fewer voting precincts, caused by staffing shortages and fewer venues wanting to be polling places, could create problems on election day.
In response to shortages, Whitmire said the State Election Commission will pay poll workers and clerks more money.
The new reason to qualify to vote absentee — reason No. 18, because of a state of emergency — expires July 1.
That means the expanded absentee voting qualifications will not apply to the November general election, or local elections that were postponed by the governor back in March, April and May, which have been rescheduled for July 14.
Whitmire told The State the State Election Commission has the money it needs to conduct the primary and runoffs.
In addition to money already in its budget, the agency could tap into some of the up to $15 million set aside by the Legislature this week in a bill to keep government funded and more than $6.3 million in federal election security dollars.
But November could pose a whole different set of issues for the state.
Should lawmakers avoid expanding absentee voting come November, Whitmire said the state still expects a heavy number of absentee voter requests purely based on the volume it’s recorded over the past several elections.
“Doesn’t impact the integrity of the election, it does impact how long it takes to count the votes though,” Whitmire said. “Absentee voting has been going up naturally prior to coronavirus. We already were expecting more than 2016, because that is the trajectory of the numbers.”
Throw in coronavirus concerns, and regardless of what happens in the coming months, more absentee ballots will be requested, Whitmire said.
“This action by the General Assembly and Gov. McMaster, which we greatly appreciate, will go a long way in protecting the health and safety of every South Carolinian,” Marci Andino, head of the State Election Commission, said in a statement on Wednesday. “All voters now have a safe alternative to voting at their polling place in June.”
Before you go to the polls
South Carolinians who do decide to vote in person on June 9 will find some of their voting experience entirely different.
The State Election Commission has bought masks, gloves and even face shields for poll workers and clerks. Alcohol and disinfecting wipes will be used to wipe down the machines, and voters will speak to poll workers through a sneeze guard to avoid spreading the highly-communicable disease. Every precinct will have hand sanitizer available and space out lines by 6 feet to keep social distancing measures in place.
Instead of using a finger to cast a ballot, voters will receive cotton swabs to cast their vote on the touch screen.
Curbside voting will still be allowed for people, who due to age or disability, cannot stand in line at a polling station. Otherwise, it will not be expanded to all voters.
All voters are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Voters will not be turned away if they do not have a mask, and poll workers will not have enough masks to give out.
But voters who show up to vote wearing a mask with campaign material on it — for example, a candidate’s name or other political party information — will be asked to remove it or cover it before they vote, Whitmire said.
Voting absentee by mail or in person?
▪ By mail, visit scvotes.org to get an absentee application, and return it as soon as possible. Once you get your ballot, vote and return it as soon as possible.
▪ In person, visit your county voter registration office or satellite absentee location, and make sure to have a photo ID.
Voting on Election Day?
▪ Make sure your registration and address is up to date;
▪ before you get in your car, check where your polling place is and make sure you have your photo ID;
▪ wear a mask and bring your own pencil to sign the poll list;
▪ practice social distancing and be patient.
SOURCE: STATE ELECTION COMMISSION
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This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
