Be ready to act fast: Here’s the latest on Horry County absentee ballots for runoffs
Absentee ballots for the Horry County run-off election should arrive today, according to Horry County election officials.
The run-off election is on Tuesday. All Horry County voters will have the option to vote in the auditor run-off between R.A. Johnson and Beth Calhoun.
Voters living in the respective districts will also be able to vote in the South Carolina Senate District 33 race between incumbent Luke Rankin and challenger John Gallman and the Horry County Council District 9 race between Terry Fowler and Mark Causey.
Horry County Elections Director Sandy Martin said she spoke with the company responsible for distributing the ballots and informed the county that they will arrive to voters today.
Martin said the short amount of time between the certifying the June 9 primaries and the Tuesday run-offs is a reason they’re behind.
“With only a week between elections it does not give us much time to get them all mailed out,” Martin wrote in an email.
Ballots must be returned to the Horry County elections office by 7 p.m. on Tuesday to be counted. Martin said you have four options to make sure your vote counts.
First is mailing your ballot in as soon as you get it. So don’t delay getting it into the mail if your ballot comes today. According to the United States Postal Service website, it can take one to two days for local mail to reach its destination within Horry County. Martin said her workers will be checking the post office frequently to make sure all ballots count.
If you wait and don’t get it in the mail in time to arrive, your second option is to cast your absentee ballot in person at the Horry County elections office by 5 p.m. Tuesday ahead of the election. There is a drop-off box outside of the office so you don’t have to go inside.
For people unable to travel to Conway to drop off the ballot, you can have someone turn it in for you.
Your third option is to bring the absentee ballot to the election office and vote in-person by 5 p.m. on Monday. Just make sure you bring your required official state identification card.
The address for Horry County’s election office is 1515 Fourth Avenue in Conway. If you have any questions about voting, call the office at 843-915-5440.
Voting in person is your fourth option. Booths open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 7 p.m. To avoid any potential issues with getting the wrong ballot or showing up at the wrong precinct, visit SCVotes.org for more information.
Voting officials ask you wear a mask when voting in person.
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 11:25 AM.
