Absentee voting in Beaufort County: Your lingering questions answered
As the Nov. 3 general election inches closer, the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette peppered Ron Clifford, the chair of Beaufort County’s Board of Voter Registration and Elections, with questions from readers about voting absentee. Voters can cast their ballots absentee in-person until 5 p.m. Nov. 2. Mail-in ballots will be received until 7 p.m. Election Day.
Here’s what he had to say.
Why can’t I reach the Board of Voter Registration and Elections with my questions or concerns?
Dozens have reported being unable to reach the Board of Voter Registration and Elections by phone, though an Island Packet reporter was able to reach the Beaufort office of the board after three calls. Attempts to reach the Bluffton office were sent to voicemail. According to Clifford, these experiences are par for the course.
“We get a jillion every day,” Clifford said, not sure of the actual amount.
Clifford said the board’s nine employees are fanned out among the three early voting precincts, leaving the rest — and volunteers — to tend to the six phone lines at the central office.
“We’re just snowed under right now,” Clifford said. “It’s somewhat stressful. Plus, people are calling about things that we have announced, and they are calling about some question that is particular to them. I get it, but it’s really hard to cater to all of those.”
He said he understands why people would be frustrated.
“We are doing the doggone best we can,” Clifford said. “We believe every vote matters, and every vote counts.”
How many people have been showing up to the polls to vote absentee each day?
Clifford said roughly 300 to 400 people show up to drop off their absentee ballots or vote in-person absentee at each precinct, each day.
I am disabled, but want to vote in person. How does that work?
Good news: you can stay in your car.
All three absentee in-person voting precincts offer curbside voting. Those with disabilities or who are over 65 can stay in the parking lot and have the voting machine brought out to them instead of going into the polling location, Clifford said.
“They have to wait in line like everyone else,” Clifford noted. “We don’t give them any particular benefits.”
Are absentee ballots still being sent out?
Yes, and email, fax or mail applications for them must be received by Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. to guarantee that you receive yours. Alternatively, voters may request absentee ballots in person by Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. or show up to vote in person by Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.
Clifford had a few reminders for those who haven’t requested their absentee ballot.
Don’t forget to have them witnessed. After some legal back and forth, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all absentee ballots received after Oct. 7 must be signed by a witness.
You won’t have another chance to get it right.
“We don’t have time to call a whole slug of people who didn’t get it signed,” Clifford said.
Should I worry about ballots being thrown out because of the lack of witness signatures?
Clifford said that because Beaufort County started sending out ballots only on Oct. 5, he did not believe that many people would be affected by the witness signature change-up.
At a polling location nearly two weeks ago, Clifford said, “I picked up the ballots from the people to keep them from waiting, and I picked up 40 ballots. Every single one of them was witnessed, 40 of them, so apparently everyone got the message.”
To learn more about absentee voting in Beaufort County, check out our Voter Guide. More FAQ can be found here.
Have questions or concerns with voting this election? Please reach out to the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette’s workforce and livability reporter, Kate Hidalgo Bellows, at kbellows@islandpacket.com.
