Absentee Voting

Qualifications to vote absentee:

• A member of the Uniformed Services on Active Duty
• A member of the Merchant Marines
• A spouse or dependent of a member of the Uniformed Services or Merchant Marines
• A U.S. Citizen temporarily residing outside of the United States due to employment, serving with the American Red Cross, USD, Peace Corps, etc.
• A U.S. Citizen permanently residing outside of the United States
• Someone with a physical disability
• A student, and their spouse or dependents residing with them, who are outside of their county of residence
• Job demands
• A government employee, their spouse or dependents residing with them, who are outside of their county of residence on Election Day
• A person on vacation
• Anyone serving as a juror in a state or federal court on Election Day
• Anyone admitted to the hospital as emergency patient on the day of election or within a four-day period before the election
• A death or funeral in the family within a three-day period before the election
• Someone confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
• Attending a sick or physically disabled person
• Certified poll watcher, poll manager, county registration board or election commission member or staff working on Election Day
• Anyone 65 or older

Qualified voters may vote absentee in person or by mail.

In Person: Visit the Cherokee County Voter Registration and Elections Office, complete an application, and cast your ballot. You may vote absentee in person up until 5 p.m. on the day before the election.

By Mail: The voter, or an immediate family member, requests an application be mailed to the voter. The voter may also apply for an absentee ballot online at www.scvotes.gov/absentee-voting.

If requested by telephone, the voter is mailed an absentee application to complete, sign and return. The ballot is mailed only after the Voter Registration and Elections Office has received and verified the completed application. The voter mails the ballot back to the Voter Registration and Elections Office so that it is received no later than 7 p.m. on the date of the election.

When you call the office to request an absentee application, please be prepared to provide the following information:

• Voter’s name
• Voter registration certification number or Social Security number
• Home address and telephone number
• Absentee address of voter, if applicable

The requester, if other than the voter, must be a registered voter in Cherokee County and provide their voter registration certification number, home address, and relationship to the voter.

For complete information regarding voter registration and absentee voting in South Carolina, contact the Cherokee County Voter Registration and Elections office or visit www.scvotes.gov.

Voting Absentee by Mail is a multi-part & time sensitive process:

1. Voter must request, complete, & return an application for an absentee ballot.
2. This office receives the completed application then mails the ballot to the voter.
3. Voters must return the completed ballot packet by 7pm on election day.

DON’T WAIT! – USPS mailing times have changed and may take longer.

Check the status of your absentee request