SC governor signs bill expanding absentee voting for June primaries, run-off

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - On Wednesday, Governor Henry McMaster signed a bill into law allowing absentee voting for the June primaries because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senators and House members voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow any South Carolinian to request an absentee ballot because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, anyone can vote absentee, but they must request a ballot and give the coronavirus pandemic as a reason for voting absentee.

In South Carolina, absentee voters can send their ballot in by mail.

The new law would only apply to the June primaries and run-offs.

Besides concerns about the coronavirus, there are more than a dozen other reasons someone can vote absentee in South Carolina, according to the State Election Commission’s website:

Persons 65 years of age or older
Persons who are physically disabled
Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
Persons who for reasons of employment will not be able to vote on Election Day
Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
Overseas citizens
Students attending school outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them
Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election
Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
Persons serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine serving outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
Persons who for religious reasons do not want to vote on a Saturday (presidential primaries only)