Director Angela Upchurch and Deputy Director Cynthia Pencile Williams of Voter Registration and Elections have been ecstatic about the unprecedented turnout that they have seen thus far with early voting. They have never seen this kind of turnout in the history of early voting in Colleton County, and they said it has been awesome, great, among other positive adjectives! There was a line already at the door before the office opened last Monday morning. By the end of the first day, the record total of early voters was 1030, and by noon on Tuesday, hundreds had already come through the line. The new office offers a lot more space and comfort for the voters and the staff. Further, it has curbside voting, which has been an extra plus.
Both of the directors are very pleased as to how smoothly this process has gone. One reminder that Director Upchurch would like for the citizens to know is that they need to check their voter registration status prior to coming in to make sure everything is in order, such as correct addresses. They can get this information, as well as a “sample” ballot, at www.scvotes.gov. This will save a lot of time when they come in to vote. Deputy Director Williams stated, “Our new office location is a blessing, not only to us, but also to the citizens of Colleton County as well. Our dedication and hard work are now paying off, as we have served over 5,000 voters who have cast their ballots during early voting this past week. I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to the late Ms. Lynette Fryar and our Board Members who were strong advocates in our getting a new location. I look forward to many years of service to our county.” Dr. Queenie L. Crawford is the Board Chairman.
Early voting will continue this week, Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and will officially end on Saturday. The new office is located at 72 Bells Highway in Walterboro, across the street from Parker’s Kitchen and Gas Station. It is housed in the old Rite Aid building. Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5 from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; however, all voting on this day will take place at the local precincts, not the Voter Registration and Elections Office. According to the South Carolina Election Commission: More than 125,000 voters turned out to cast their ballot on the first day of early voting [in South Carolina], topping the previous one-day record for early voting set in the 2022 General Election.
• New record (October 21, 2024): Approximately 125,900
• Old record (November 4, 2022): Approximately 70,100