Early voting begins Wednesday for the Aug. 11 special Republican primary for U.S. Senate, while candidates are also filing for four Clarendon County school board races that will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Clarendon County voters eligible for the special primary may vote early from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Clarendon County Voter Registration and Elections Office (CCVRE), 3 S. Church St. in Manning.
The statewide special primary will be held Aug. 11. Voters who participated in the June Republican primary or did not vote in either party’s June primary are eligible to participate. Those who voted in the June Democratic primary are not eligible.
Voters must present an acceptable photo ID when checking in. No excuse is required to vote early.
The primary will determine the Republican nominee who will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. The special election process began following the death of Republican nominee U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The South Carolina Election Commission (SEC) announced Tuesday that Danny Ford II would be added to the primary ballot under a court order issued that morning.
Ford, who ran in the June Republican primary for state commissioner of agriculture, sued the South Carolina Republican Party and SEC after the party disqualified him under a newly adopted rule requiring candidates to have voted in two of the previous three Republican primaries.
A Richland County judge ruled that Ford must appear on the ballot. The Election Commission advised voters to view their updated sample ballot at scVOTES.gov for the current field of candidates.
The deadline for most voters to apply for an absentee ballot has passed, but ballots already submitted will count. Voters who currently have an absentee ballot may complete and return it or contact the county elections office to request an updated ballot.
Absentee ballots must reach the county elections office by 7 p.m. Aug. 11. The commission recommends returning outstanding ballots in person to ensure they arrive by the deadline.
Military and overseas voters may continue applying for absentee ballots through Election Day. Additional information is available at scVOTES.gov and FVAP.gov.
A public test of voting equipment will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 10 at the county elections office. County certification is scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 13.
If no candidate receives a majority, early voting for a runoff will be held Aug. 19-21, followed by the runoff Aug. 25.
The CCVRE also advised voters to check their mail for new voter registration cards. Anyone who did not receive a card should contact the office or visit scVOTES.gov to verify their polling place. The office can be reached at 803-435-8215.
Meanwhile, filing remains open for Clarendon County school board districts 2, 4, 6 and 8. The nonpartisan races will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
As of 3:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Tami Green had filed for District 2, Linda P. Lemon for District 4, Antonio Green for District 6 and John R. Hardy for District 8. Jessie Johnathan Cave had announced his candidacy for District 8 but had not yet filed.
Candidates must file with the Clarendon County Board of Voter Registration and Elections. Because Aug. 15 falls on a Saturday, filing will remain open until noon Aug. 17.
Voters can check their registration, view a sample ballot and confirm their voting location at scVOTES.gov.
