LANCASTER, S. C. (CN2 NEWS) Lancaster County Voter Registration has announced voter registration procedures. They’ve released the following information:
Absentee voting in South Carolina for the 2020 General Election begins Monday, October 5th and ends at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2. Additionally, H.5305/R.149, signed into law on September 16, 2020, made significant changes to absentee voting in our state for the November 3, 2020 General Election.
One significant change is that all voters are now qualified to vote absentee under the “State of Emergency” reason, which only applies to this election. Voters should visit the scvotes.gov website for additional information regarding new absentee voting rules for the 2020 General Election. The deadline to register to vote in person is Friday, October 2, 2020.
Given the traditional General Election interest, the record number of absentee ballot requests received by our Voter Registration Office and the impact of state and local campaigns, we anticipate large numbers of absentee voters at the Lancaster County Administration Building, located at 101 North Main Street in Lancaster from October 5 – November 2. Our goal is to provide the best voting experience for every voter desiring to cast an absentee ballot and to do so in the safest manner possible as we continue battling COVID-19.
Lancaster County has developed a comprehensive plan to address voter traffic in the Administration Building while following COVID-19 safety and social distancing protocols. Highlights include:
Dedicated parking areas for absentee voters marked with signage.
A dedicated voter reception area located in the parking lot marked with “Voters Start Here” signage.
Expanded absentee polling areas inside the Administration Building—designed with social distancing protocols.
Additionally, the Indian Land Service Center, located at 8451 Charlotte Hwy, will be available from October 5 – November 2 for completed absentee ballot drop-off only for those who prefer hand delivery. Hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. The Center will be staffed on Election Day to collect absentee ballots for anyone who has not yet mailed them in.
Absentee voting requests for the November 3, 2020 General Election may be made by email at elections@lancastersc.net or online at: mylancastersc.org or scvotes.gov.
As a reminder, if you download your absentee ballot application from scvotes.gov, you must print and mail it to the Lancaster County Voter Registration office.
The address appears at the bottom of the application. Applications must be received by the Voter Registration Office by 5:00 p.m., Saturday, October 24. Voter Registration Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and they can be reached at 803-285- 2969 with any questions.
Lancaster County highly encourages residents to take full advantage of our on-line resources for your normal county government business transactions to avoid the potential congestion at the Administration Building during this time. Visit the Lancaster County Government website at www.mylancastersc.org for details.
