South Carolina 2018 midterm elections: how to vote absentee, early

Lexington County, SC (WLTX) -- Election night is almost here, but a lot of people don't always have the time to vote on election day. News 19 is on your side with everything you need to know about absentee voting.

South Carolina does not have early voting, but if you are unable to vote in person on election day you can vote absentee.

"We try to make it easy for everybody so for people that are homebound they can call, we get it mailed to them, just people that are working out of town, people that are care givers we try to make best for everybody to give everybody that chance," Lexington County Board of Voter Registration and Election Office Manager Mary Brack said.

You have to be qualified in order to vote absentee. After you get an absentee application you must fill it out, sign it and then return it to your county voter registration office as soon as possible, but no later than Monday at 5 PM. You have to turn in your ballot to the voter registration office in your county, not at the polls by 7 PM on the day of the election.

"This is the only place you can absentee vote and this is the only place you can return a ballot even on election day you cannot take your paper ballot to the polls," Brack said. "They cannot accept them there you have to bring them up here."

Brack said that all registered voters need is their photo identification and a reason as to why they are voting absentee. Many voters said having the option helps make sure their voice is heard.

"It's very helpful," voter Anne Castrow said. "It's important that you vote and express your opinion so having an absentee option here in Lexington is awesome."

South Carolina has already had an 80% more absentee ballots issued this year than in 2014.

"It's really important that they offer that because not everybody is available one day to go and do that between x hours and so I think that it's nice to give them that flexibility to come and vote and make sure their vote gets in," voter Lindsay Thomas said.

Here are the quick facts you need to know about voting absentee:

Voting absentee in person

Visit your county elections office, complete an application, and cast your ballot. Available until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 5.

Voting Absentee by Mail

It's too late now to request a ballot via mail. If you did receive already request one, and haven't mailed it back, you can vote the ballot following ballot instructions and return it as soon as possible to your county voter registration office and no later than 7:00 p.m. on November 6.

Persons qualified to vote by absentee ballot

1. Members of the Armed Forces or Merchant Marine serving outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
2. Persons serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
3. Overseas Citizens
4. Persons who are physically disabled
5. Students attending school outside their county of residence and their spouses and dependents residing with them
6. Persons who for reasons of employment will not be able to vote on election day
7. Government employees serving outside their county of residence on Election Day and their spouses and dependents residing with them
8. Persons who plan to be on vacation outside their county of residence on Election Day
9. Persons serving as a juror in state or federal court on Election Day
10. Persons admitted to the hospital as emergency patients on Election Day or within a four-day period before the election
11. Persons with a death or funeral in the family within three days before the election
12. Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial
13. Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons
14. Certified poll watchers, poll managers, and county election officials working on Election Day
15. Persons sixty-five years of age or older
16. Persons who for religious reasons do not want to vote on a Saturday (Presidential Primaries Only

For more information on voting and absentee ballots, click here.