LEXINGTON, S.C. — Lexington County officials have been taking several precautions to help people vote while preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
People have been able to vote absentee in Lexington County for the past week.
Mary Brack, the Director of Registration and Elections in Lexington County, says they've seen a steady amount of voters since May 1st.
"In the beginning, we would have like 20 or 30 voters. It's really picked up a lot," said Brack. "No one stood in line though. We still have our tape right here."
The department has placed red tape outside marking where people can safely stand six feet apart when coming to vote.
Officials say voting has been so quick, a line really hasn't built so far.
As of Tuesday morning, there's been 3,400 requests for absentee voting in the county. These are both people mailing in ballots or voting in-person.
In June, there is only a Republican ballot. People are also able to order a November ballot. Town council, US Senators, Congressional Districts, Sheriff, and other voting in Lexington.
One thing officials are pushing for is absentee voting. Part of the reason is to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus while allowing folks to do their civic duty.
"If you have a fear of going out on June 9th due to the coronavirus or if you are on vacation or if you are working for any of the other reasons that we always have, we always have a lot of absentee voters," said Brack.
Officials believe it may be a good idea for people who are 65-years-old or older, caregivers, or military members to think about absentee voting.
Right now Brack is encouraging folks who typically do curbside voting to do absentee instead.
"We're just trying to follow the CDC rules for the social distancing. When we have to bring the machine out, it takes two of us to bring that machine out, get you to sign your paperwork, and then we are really in close contact."
Brack says they already have protective gear. Poll workers are required to wear masks, a shield, and gloves.
Voters have been asked to vote with Q-tips so no one has to touch the screens.
Absentee voting will end on June 8th. If you haven't voted by then, you'll have to go to your precinct to cast your ballot.
In Lexington County to participate in absentee voting, you can call 803-785-8361 to order an absentee application. You can also go to scvotes.org and request an application online. Folks will need to print the application out, sign it, and email or mail it back to the department.
"It's just your civic duty to get out and vote. Just to be responsible and to know what's going on in your area and to have a say in who your representatives are," explained Brack.
Right now, the department is still looking for poll workers. If you would like to apply to be a poll worker for Lexington County, you can download the application here or you can can get an application at scvotes.org and get a poll manager application from there. People are able to send applications through mail, email, fax, or drop it off at the office of Registration and Elections for Lexington County.