S.C. needs early voting

By Staff Reports

More than 132 million Americans, a record total, cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election. Preliminary estimates are that nearly one-third of them voted before Election Day.

While South Carolina allows voters to cast an absentee ballot before Election Day, we think the state should join 32 others in allowing residents to vote early without having to cook up an excuse to do so.

In Oregon, by the way, all voting is done by mail. This year, the state had a record number of votes cast in the presidential election.

South Carolina voters now must have a reason for casting an absentee ballot either by mail or in person. The state has a list of 13 permissible excuses, including job responsibilities, physical disabilities and even family vacations.

But the state has no way of affirming whether the excuses are valid, and for many who vote absentee, they aren't. Thousands of South Carolinians abuse the system and vote absentee because it's more convenient than standing in line on Election Day.

State officials estimate that about 13 percent of South Carolina voters cast absentee ballots this year, twice as many as in 2004. To do so, they either voted by mail or at their county's voter registration office.

If the state allowed early voting with no excuse necessary, polling places could be set up at many more sites, making them far more accessible to voters. Early voting not only would give voters another option, it also would help shrink lines on Election Day.

Several state lawmakers are planning to introduce legislation to allow early voting statewide. Gov. Mark Sanford said he favors early voting -- contingent on the overall cost of the plan.

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, House majority whip, said he would push for a national early voting bill for all federal elections.

Some lawmakers oppose early voting, saying it provides more opportunities to illegally manipulate the way people vote. Some also worry that, with rampant early voting, a potentially game-changing occurrence in the final days of the campaign would have no effect on the votes already cast.

And some Republicans object to early voting because they think it is most likely to benefit Democrats. That may be the case now, but it could change, depending on the political mood of the public.

We think early voting has been well tested in other states, especially during the recent campaign. Voters should be given options that make voting easier.

It is absurd that voters are required to wait in long lines, sometimes for several hours, just to exercise their democratic right to cast a vote. Instead of continuing a system that could discourage voting, we ought to be seeking ways to make voting more convenient.

Early voting is one good way to do that.

IN SUMMARY
State allows absentee voting, but an early voting program would expand options. What do you think about this editorial? Come to heraldonline.com and tell us.

IN SUMMARY

State allows absentee voting, but an early voting program would expand options.

What do you think about this editorial? Come to heraldonline.com and tell us.