Absentee in-person voting in Beaufort Co. started Monday. Here’s how it went
Of the 150 or so voters who fanned out in a line next to Bluffton Recreation Center Monday afternoon, a few dozen possessed a very valuable asset — a foldable chair.
They knew they would be waiting for a while.
They were among the first to cast their ballots in the November general election in Beaufort County, choosing to vote absentee in-person ahead of Election Day, Nov. 3. Today was the first day of voting in South Carolina.
Under legislation passed by the South Carolina legislature Sept. 16, all voters may vote absentee — in person or by mail — this election under the current “state of emergency.”
In Beaufort County, voters must send applications for absentee ballots to the county Board of Voter Registration and Elections by fax, mail or email by Oct. 24. Alternatively, they may drop an application off in-person by Oct. 30 or complete the process when voting in person Oct. 5 through Nov. 2 at one of the board’s offices in Beaufort, Bluffton or Hilton Head Island.
Absentee precincts are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as the Saturday before Election Day, when the precincts close at 1 p.m.
At the rec center, some voters waited hours to cast their ballots, as a steady stream continued to fill the parking lot. Most voters wore masks, which were required to go inside the rec center.
Each voter had different reasons for coming out as soon as they were allowed to.
Concerned about the pandemic, Lou Tucker had requested a mail-in ballot in June but said it never came. So on Monday, he stood in line for two hours in a mask and face shield. He noted that he was pleased to see so many people in line wearing masks.
He said he was voting because he was concerned about the direction of the country and state and believed there needed to be change.
Angela Comfort said she was voting early because she is immuno-compromised.
“As it gets closer into the winter, I am trying to avoid crowds,” she said.
And Gloria Statham said she was voting to fulfill a promise to herself, that she would vote as soon as the polls opened.
“There is so much that is wrong,” Statham said. “It just has to stop. Man’s inhumanity to man.”
