NEWS BRIEFS: How to vote early in the 2020 general election

Staff reports | With so much voting information available online, the options to vote early can seem overwhelming or complicated. But voting early may save you long waits in line on Nov. 3.  So here is a breakdown of everything you need to know:

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How to vote early by mail

1. Request and print your absentee ballot application online HERE.  Or phone  843.744.8683 or submit a written request application to absentee@charlestoncounty.org. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 24, 2020. Print your application if requested online
2. Sign and return the application via email, fax (843.974.6419), regular mail (PO Box 71419, North Charleston, SC, 29415) or drop-off in person at one of these four locations.
3. Send ballot back (with witness signature) via U.S. Postal Service (no postage required) or drop-off at one of four locations at an available date/time listed online (there will be a dedicated lane for voters to drive through).  Deadline: No later than 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. 2020.

Vote early in person

Charleston County has four satellite voting locations that voters can visit to vote absentee in person. Voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (also open Saturday, October 24 and Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). No application needs to be completed prior to arrival.  Be sure to bring one of these five forms of photo identification: S.C. driver’s license, S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles ID card, S.C. voter registration card with photo, federal military ID or U.S. passport.  Satellite voting locations are:

1. North Charleston Coliseum (Box Office Entrance): 500 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston (Oct. 5 – Nov. 2)
2. Seacoast Church Mount Pleasant: 750 Long Point Road (Oct. 19 – Nov. 2)
3. Seacoast Church West Ashley: 2049 Savannah Highway (Oct. 19 – Nov. 2)
4.  Main Library Downtown: 68 Calhoun St. (Oct. 19 – Nov. 2)

More information

• If you wish to check the status of your absentee ballot, click here.
• For Voter Registration questions, to register to vote, or update your address, email voterregistration@charlestoncounty.org. 
• Use live chat or find other information at the department’s website here. 

In other recent news:

Rescued animals.  Congratulations to the Charleston Animal Society for evacuating 30 cats and 50 dogs from Louisians last week as Hurricane Delta approached.  The animals were to be placed with 10 partner organizations in the Carolinas and Florida.  “These are the most vulnerable animals as others have already been evacuated to regional shelters,” Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore said in a statement. 

Port volumes returning. The S.C. Ports Authority’s September volumes reflect the strongest year-over-year activity since the pandemic hit, showing a continued recovery and strength in containers, vehicles and inland port moves. According to a press release, SC Ports handled 195,101 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals — a record September for SC Ports and a slight increase year-over-year. SC Ports handled 580,912 TEUs in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021.

State high court says no to private school vouchers. The S.C. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Gov. Henry McMaster’s allocation of $32 million in federal funding for one-time tuition grants for students to attend private schools violated the state’s constitution (specifically, Article XI, Section 4). McMaster shot back in a statement this week that the ruling “jeopardized” millions in CARES Act money allocated by the General Assembly to the state’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), many of which are private. The ruling did not mention the governor’s stalled allocation of $2.4 million to HBCUs for technology updates nor the General Assembly’s Cares Act allocation.

Hurricanes and flooding labeled top domestic threats. Hurricanes and flooding, two natural disasters South Carolina experiences with some frequency, were labeled among top domestic threats in an Oct. 6 Department of Homeland Security Threat Assessment report. The threats were listed in the 26-page report along with Russian cyber threats and social media influence, the coronavirus pandemic’s threat to the national economy and violent extremists from within the United States. This week, the FBI busted an anti-government group’s plot to kidnap Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. But back to the hurricanes and floods (because that’s in the news, too, with Louisiana getting hammered yet again): “These disasters pose a significant threat to human health and safety, property, critical infrastructure, and homeland security while subjecting the nation to frequent periods of insecurity, disruption, and economic loss.” 

Teen birth rate decreases, but state still high on national list. Fewer South Carolina teens, ages 15 to 19, gave birth in 2019 when compared with 2018, continuing a trend where the state’s teen birth rate has dropped 49 percent since 2010 and 71 percent decline since 1991, according to Fact Forward, formerly the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. While the overall rate decreased by 1.8 percent from 2018 to 2019, Black teenage girls gave birth at a higher frequency in that time period, an increase of 1.8 percent. The state currently ranks 11th in the nation for its teen birth rate. 

Statehouse Report’s Lindsay Street contributed to this report. Have a comment?  Send to:  editor@charlestoncurrents.com