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Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to register to vote? Where can I register to vote? If I register to vote, will I also be called for jury duty? Where do I vote? What Congressional District am I in? I have lost my registration card. Can I still vote? What can I do if I cannot make it to the polls on election day? How does one qualify to vote absentee? May I request an absentee ballot for my neighbor? May I take my wife/husband/child/mother/father their ballot? If I do not vote in the Primary Election, can I vote in the November or any general election? What party am I registered with? Is assistance offered at the polls?
A. To be eligible to vote in South Carolina, a person must present proof of legal residence and meet the following qualifications:
A. Any library or health department, the Chamber of Commerce, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Social Services, or the main office of the Voter Registration and Election Commission located at 1437 Amelia ST, Orangeburg, SC 29115.
A. Potential jurors are randomly selected from voter registration lists as well as driver's license and DMV identification lists. Your chances of being selected for jury duty are just as great if you have a South Carolina driver's license.
A. Your polling place is determined by what voting precinct boundary you reside in and is designated on the bottom line of your voter registration card.
A. Orangeburg County has two Congressional Districts. Joe Wilson is the Congressional Representative for District 2. James Clyburn is the Representative for District 6.
A. Yes, so long as you have a valid South Carolina driver's license showing your address as it appears on the Voter Registration List. You may also request a duplicate card by mail, phone, or in person from the Voter Registration and Election Office.
Please contact the Office of Voter Registration to see if you are eligible.
A. If you will be absent from the County on Election Day, you may request an absentee ballot. You may be absent due to employment, vacation, etc. If you are over 65 years of age, you are qualified to vote absentee. Members of the military and their dependents are eligible to vote absentee. Other qualificatioins are: US citizen temporarily residing outside the US due to employment (serving with the American Red Cross, USO, Peace Corps, etc.), a US citizen permanently residing outside the US, physically disabled individuals, students (their spouses or dependents also), jury duty, emergency hospital patient (admitted 4 days prior to election), death or funeral in the family (3 days prior to the election), attending a sick or disabled person, a certified poll worker or poll water, or confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial.
A. No. Only the individual, a member of their immediate family, or a designated authorized representative may request an absentee application.
A. No. Ballots are given to the voter either in person or by mail only. The individual in question may vote in our office which is the absentee precinct or by mail. In emergency situations, please check with our office.
A. Yes. You do not have to vote in a Primary Election to be eligible to vote in a November General or Special General Election.
A. The State of South Carolina does not register by party. You will choose a party only when you vote in a Primary Election. If you chose a party in a Primary Election, when the next Primary Election comes you are not obligated to stay with that party. You may switch back and forth, if you so desire.
A. Yes. A voter can request assistance if they are: blind, physically disabled, or unable to read and write. A voter may receive assistance from anyone they choose except their employer, an agent of their employer, or an officer or agent of his union.