The first day of early voting draws thousands of Charleston County voters

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Thousands of Charleston County voters turned out to vote Monday for the first day of early voting in South Carolina.

Charleston County Board of Elections Executive Director Issac Cramer said over 6,000 voters had cast their ballots as of 1 p.m. Monday, saying that in the 2020 election year they only had 5,500 voters the entire first day.

Cramer said they expect to have over 10,000 early voters by the end of the first day, double the number in 2020.

“It’s very clear that people are going to vote. Everyone is excited. Of course there was great anticipation, but we are mirroring what other parts of the country have already done during the early voting period. We’re seeing engagement, enthusiasm and attendance increasing by the minute,” Cramer said.

Early voting lasts until November 2nd. Voters can visit polling stations Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The polling stations will remain closed on October 27th.

Cramer said they expect to see their voter turnout increase every day during the first term.

“We don’t expect any significant decline in numbers at all. There is a tendency to increase continuously. The last week is definitely the week with the highest voter turnout. So we encourage people to vote now if they are ready to vote. Skip the lines on Election Day,” Cramer said.

Cramer said it is critical that voters review their sample ballots, which can be found Here. He said voting is longer this year, giving people more time to vote in person. He encouraged people to read the sample ballot online and do research in advance so that voters would be prepared when they go to the polls.

For those unable to vote in person, curbside voting will be offered during the early voting period.

Cramer said wait times depend on the time of day. He said lunchtime tends to be busier, but the number of voters tends to decrease between 3 and 4 p.m. For those who don’t want to wait in line, he said the end of the day is the least busy.

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority has extended its Route 103, which takes voters to the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Election headquarters in North Charleston. You can find this route Here.

Charleston County early voters may vote at any of the following seven locations:

Baxter-Patrick James Island Library, 1858 S Grimball Road, Charleston
Election Center, 4340 Corporate Road, North Charleston
Essex Village Church of Christ, 736 Savage Road, Charleston
Main Library – Downtown Charleston, 68 Calhoun St., Charleston
Seacoast Church – Mount Pleasant, 750 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant
St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3673 Maybank Highway, Johns Island
St. Paul’s Hollywood Library, 5130 SC-165, Hollywood

Registered voters will need a valid photo ID to check-in. Acceptable forms of photo identification include a South Carolina driver’s license, South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles identification card, South Carolina Concealed Weapons Permit, South Carolina photo voter registration card, United States military ID card, and United States passport.

Recent Posts