With a half-million new voters added to the rolls in South Carolina since the last presidential election, election officials are predicting record numbers turning out to vote on Nov. 4. Help cut congestion at the polls by taking advantage of South Carolina’s provision for “in-person absentee” voting.

To vote in-person absentee, you must be a registered voter and meet one of the following criteria:
• Students, their spouses and dependents residing with them
• Members of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marines, Red Cross, USO, government employees, their spouses and dependents residing with them
• For reasons of employment will not be able to vote on election day
• Physically disabled persons
• Persons on vacation
• Persons age 65 or older
• Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on day of election or at least four days prior to the election
• Electors with a death or funeral in the family within 3 days before the election
• Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
• Persons serving as jurors in a state or federal court on election day
• Certified poll watchers and poll managers

You may vote in-person absentee at your county voter registration office until 5pm on Nov. 3. For more details on voting, or to find your registration office, visit the SC Election Commission’s web site.

If you encounter problems while voting, please call the toll-free hotline for assistance: 1-866-OUR-VOTE. You will be provided free legal assistance, and your report will help provide a record to help election workers address weaknesses in the system and avoid problems in the future.