Who’s on your ballot and what do they stand for? Find out in The Herald’s voter guide
There’s less than two months until the long-awaited 2020 election. The presidential race is obvious on the ballot, but in York, Lancaster and Chester counties, there are several other key decisions.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, who has held his position since 2017, is facing newcomer Moe Brown for South Carolina’s 5th District Congressional seat. Brown, a former University of South Carolina football player, has put himself on the South Carolina politics map, landing key Democratic endorsements from U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and former presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.
On the state-level, longtime S.C. Sen. Greg Gregory’s seat is up for grabs. York County Council chairman Michael Johnson, a Republican, is facing Democrat Ram Mammadov for the District 16 position, which represents parts of York and Lancaster counties.
In Chester County, former county Sheriff Alex Underwood, who was indicted in 2019 on federal and state charges and removed from office, is running for the seat against current county Sheriff Max Dorsey, a Republican.
The Herald has put together a voter guide with information readers can use to help make those important decisions in the voting booth. Find our voter guide at heraldonline.com/voter-guide.
We have sent questionnaires to numerous statewide and local candidates and have published their responses as they were sent to us.
Anyone who lives in York, Lancaster and Chester counties can enter their address in the voter guide to see a ballot and information about many of the candidates. Subscribers can read the answers candidates submitted on our questionnaire.
Be sure you’re registered
In order to vote in the upcoming Nov. 3 election, South Carolinians need to be registered 30 days prior to Election Day. Voters can register online or in person at their local county registration office.
Residents must register to vote in person by 5 p.m. Oct. 2; via email by 5 p.m. Oct. 4; or by mail with a postmark of no later than Oct. 5.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m on Nov. 3. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
All voters can vote absentee this election
Typically, in order to vote absentee, South Carolina voters need to meet one of 17 qualifications. But Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill on Sept. 16 giving all voters in the state the option of absentee voting because of COVID-19.
To vote absentee, a resident can visit their county voter registration office in person or apply for an absentee ballot by mail.
At the office, voters will be required to fill out an application before casting their ballot. A photo ID is required to vote absentee in person. South Carolinians can vote absentee in person until 5 p.m. Nov. 2.
Voters also can download and print out an application to vote absentee, or they can call or email the local voter registration office to request one be mailed to them. The application must be returned to the county office by 5 p.m. Oct. 24.
In York County, the voter registration office is at 6 S. Congress St. in York. The York County office will have two extension offices open for absentee in-person voting this election.
- The Fort Mill extension office will open Oct. 12 at the Fort Mill Community Center at 1011 Talbot St.
- The Rock Hill extension office will open Oct. 14 at the Rock Hill Operations Office at 757 S. Anderson Road.
In Lancaster County, the office is at 101 N. Main St. in Lancaster.
- The Indian Land Service Center at 8451 Charlotte Highway will be open through Nov. 2 for residents to drop completed absentee ballots.
The Chester County office is at 109 Ella St. in Chester.
These offices will be open for in-person absentee voting through Nov. 2. Absentee ballots must be received by the county voter registration office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 10:59 AM.
