All five counties in the 1st Congressional District now have in-person absentee voting underway for the primary races. This is also the first election in the region subject to new Voter ID laws.
Voters can cast their ballots before the March 19 Election Day if they meet one of 15 qualifying reasons, which include conflict with work schedule, physical disability, care for disabled persons, and simply being 65 or older. Upon arrival at the polling place, participants can complete a simple form marking their qualifying reason.
Democrats can choose between Elizabeth Colbert-Busch and Ben Frasier, while Republican voters get to pick from a slate of 16 candidates.
- Two locations will accept absentee ballots from Beaufort County voters. Voters can stop in Beaufort (15 John Galt Rd.) or Bluffton (61-B Ulmer Rd.) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Fri., March 15. Both locations will stay open to 5 p.m. on Mon., March 18.
- In Berkeley County, the election office at 6 Belt Dr. in Moncks Corner will accept absentee voters from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, including March 18.
- In Charleston County, registered voters can go to the local Board of Elections and Voter Registration office, located at 4367 Headquarters Rd in N Charleston. Votes can be cast there from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday up to March 18.
- Colleton County’s elections office (115A Benson St. in Walterboro) will accept absentee voters on Monday through Friday through Mon. March 18, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Dorchester County voters have two locations. In Summerville, the County Council Building at 500 N Main St. will accept absentee voters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. up to Fri., March 15. The St. George office (201 Johnston St.) will be available at the same hours, and will also be open on Mon., March 18.
The new Voter ID law will require absentee voters to produce one of the following types of identification: state driver’s license, state photo ID, voter registration card that includes a photo, federal military ID or U.S. passport.
Anyone without such photo identification can still cast a provision ballot, however, and that will be tallied in the final vote count. Voters can claim a reasonable impediment that prevented them from acquiring an approved photo ID, such as conflict with work schedule, family responsibilities, lack of transportation, lack of birth certificate, religious objection to being photographed, or any other obstacle they find that prevented their compliance with the new Voter ID requirements.
To qualify, voters will need to present their current, non-photo-bearing voter registration card, and will have to sign an affidavit that specifies their reasons for not having an approved photo ID. Only a county's Elections Commission can challenge provisional ballots cast in these circumstances of reasonable impediment.
Regular voting for these primary races is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tues., March 19, and at regular precinct locations.
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