What you need to know to vote in Saturday’s SC Democratic primary in Beaufort Co.
In case you missed it, there’s an election in South Carolina on Saturday.
Voters will cast their ballots Saturday in the state’s Democratic presidential primary, deciding how South Carolina’s delegate votes will be cast at the Democratic National Convention in July.
As the first-in-the-South primary, South Carolina has seen its politics and polls at the forefront of the national media this week.
While you may know who’s leading and who’s spending money here, you may have some questions about who can vote, how to vote and where to go this weekend.
Here, civic-minded Beaufort and Jasper County residents, are answers to those questions:
When are polls open?
Beaufort and Jasper County polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29.
Can only Democrats vote on Saturday?
South Carolina has an open primary, which means you don’t have to register with a party to vote in a primary, and you don’t have to be a Democrat to vote for a candidate on Saturday.
The state’s GOP leaders voted in September to cancel its primary, effectively endorsing a second term for President Donald Trump.
Some political groups are taking advantage of the open primary to try to skew the state’s results. The effort, dubbed “Operation Chaos,” was detailed last week in The State newspaper in Columbia, and followed by national media outlets.
“Operation Chaos” encourages Republicans to vote in the primary for a candidate they believe President Donald Trump can easily beat. Some conservative groups have “endorsed” Bernie Sanders to combat polls and headlines that indicate candidates like Joe Biden and Tom Steyer are doing well in the state.
State legislators from both parties have tried to discourage the plan to vote in the opposing party’s primary, although it’s a relatively common practice.
Where do I vote?
Polling places are similar to those used in November 2019. A full list can be found at the Beaufort County Board of Elections website.
While the Jasper County Election Commission does not have a full list of poll locations online, voters in either county can find their polling place online by entering their address at the S.C. Election Commission website.
Voting typically takes place in community centers, schools, recreation centers, churches, libraries and public buildings.
There are a few relatively new polling places in Beaufort County, including Hilton Head Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head School For Creative Arts (Blue Building), Plantation House in Hilton Head Plantation, Hilton Head Fire and Rescue Station #4, and St. Gregory the Great Parish Life Center in Bluffton.
What do I need to vote?
When voting in person, you will be asked to show one of the following photo IDs at your polling place:
- S.C. Driver’s License
- S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
- S.C. Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID
- U.S. Passport
Can I vote if I’m 17?
If you are currently 17 years old and turning 18 on or before Nov. 3, 2020 and have registered to vote, you may vote in the primary.
Whom should I vote for?
We can’t answer that, but we can point you to our roundup of candidates and what they stand for, available online.
Seven candidates are on the ballot, in this order:
- Joseph R. Biden (Democratic)
- Pete Buttigieg (Democratic)
- Tulsi Gabbard (Democratic)
- Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)
- Bernie Sanders (Democratic)
- Tom Steyer (Democratic)
- Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)
How does the voting system work?
ExpressVote is the state’s new voting system, and if you’ve voted in the past year, you’ve likely used it.
To use ExpressVote, you will show your photo ID, confirm your address, and sign the poll list maintained by a poll worker.
You will be given a blank ballot and be directed to an ExpressVote machine, where you’ll insert the ballot into the ExpressVote to begin marking your ballot.
After making your selections, you will print your ballot. You will then have the opportunity to review your selections printed on the ballot before inserting it into a ballot scanner. The scanner tabulates the votes on your ballot and feeds the ballot into a locked ballot box.
Can I vote absentee?
If you are going to be out of town on Saturday or are 65 years of age or older, voting absentee may work best for you.
You may vote absentee in-person at the Beaufort (15 John Galt Road) or Bluffton (61B Ulmer Road) offices of the Beaufort County Board of Elections until 5 p.m. on Friday.
If you wish to vote absentee by mail and have filled out an application, you should have received your ballot in the mail.
You can mail it in or return it in person at the Beaufort or Bluffton offices.
In Jasper County, an immediate family member can also request an absentee application for voters who want to vote absentee.
The application must be returned in order to receive an absentee ballot in the mail, which should be mailed or returned to the voting office at 1506 Grays Highway, Unit B, by 7 p.m. on Saturday.
What happens next?
South Carolina is not a “winner-takes-all” state, so the state’s 54 delegates to the Democratic National Convention will vote based on the outcome of the primaries in their congressional districts, according to Mayra Rivera-Vazquez, chair of the county’s Democratic Party.
Our primary comes immediately before Super Tuesday on March 3, when 14 states and one U.S. territory vote in nominating contests across the country. There will be 1,357 delegates assigned based on Super Tuesday results.
Got a question we missed? Email kkokal@islandpacket.com
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
