SC’s leaders must act quickly to ensure we have safe, accessible voting in November

No one should have to risk their health in order to vote.

But if nothing changes, that is what will be asked of the majority of voters in South Carolina on Nov. 3.

Current law requires most voters and the workers who assist them to congregate in large numbers in confined spaces on Election Day. But during the COVID-19 pandemic this is contrary to the recommendations of epidemiologists.

And it is also contrary to simple good sense given that every reputable expert believes that the pandemic will continue to be a significant danger in November.

A need to act

Nevertheless, every voter should be able to vote safely.

State Election Commission Executive Director Marci Andino has warned South Carolina’s government leaders that major changes are urgently needed — and SCARE, the organization that represents South Carolina’s local election officials, has also warned that there will be “devastating consequences” if changes are not made.

The League of Women Voters of South Carolina strongly supports these pleas for help from the people who help us vote. The General Assembly must act, and Gov. Henry McMaster must support legislators in doing so. They must do so as soon as possible to give both election officials and voters time to plan — and then to carry out those plans.

The Legislature is currently scheduled to return in mid-September; it will be then when lawmakers will decide whether or not to make the needed changes. That is very late to leave so much uncertainty about basic aspects of our election process.

The impact of the November 2020 voting process will be felt far beyond the election itself, and retaining current high-risk procedures would represent a grave, unnecessary challenge to efforts to restore normalcy in South Carolina.

In fact, Election Day could become a “super-spreader event” that would adversely affect businesses, schools and other basic social functions.

Make these changes

The General Assembly needs to make these basic changes — all of which are consistent with requests from election officials:

▪ Reinstate the “state of emergency” reason for absentee voting; it would allow every voter to choose to vote absentee-by-mail, early in person or in person on Election Day.

▪ Allow voters to apply online for an absentee ballot.

▪ Remove the witness requirement for absentee ballot return envelopes.

▪ Allow the use of secure drop boxes for return of absentee ballots at protected locations other than election offices — public libraries or town halls, for example, could be used as sites for drop boxes.

▪ Provide election officials with more time — a minimum of three days before the election (and preferably more) — to process absentee-by-mail ballots.

▪ Extend the date by which counties must certify the election results.

Move beyond partisanship

Regrettably voting issues are too often embroiled in partisan politics, but that should not be the case here. Both of our country’s major national political parties are energetically encouraging their voters to vote early — and even specifically to vote absentee by mail.

Independent studies show no inherent partisan bias in voting methods, and reputable sources also show that instances of fraud from voting absentee-by-mail are extremely rare.

All voting methods require security precautions, but South Carolina’s election officials have abundant experience ensuring the security of the absentee voting methods that are requested for our 2020 elections.

We hope that the General Assembly and Gov. McMaster will take action as soon as possible to make sound decisions in time for the November elections — just as they did for the June primaries.

In the absence of legislative action, we hope state and federal courts will recognize the central importance of voting for our democracy and act to protect those who are carrying out this basic civic responsibility.

Our November 2020 elections must be true to the best in our American beliefs and traditions: safe, secure and accessible to all qualified citizens.

Lynn Shuler Teague is vice president for Issue and Action for the League of Women Voters of South Carolina.

This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 9:25 AM.