NEWBERRY COUNTY, S.C. — Newberry County saw hundreds of people at the polls on the first day of absentee voting for the 2020 General Election.
Many people have chosen to vote absentee this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state commission has already stated they're expecting triple the previous record of absentee voters in the 2020 election.
The first day of absentee voting was Monday, with multiple counties seeing a record amount of people showing up to the polls. This was true for Newberry County.
A line formed outside of the voter registration building off Hwy 76 in Newberry County with marked spaces to promote social distancing.
Newberry officials tell News 19 they saw around 300 people come to cast their ballot. They say this is the most they've had by far on the first day of voting.
Wylene Smith originally planned to vote on Monday, but decided to put it off because of the long line.
"It was more than this (Monday) so I just said every time I come to Newberry, I check and see how the line is and it looks good today," said Smith. "It's important because if we don't vote, we don't have a voice to say anything about what's going on."
Smith thought it was important she vote and wanted to vote absentee this year.
"I'm going to vote absentee because I'm old and it's hard for me to get around and I thought that was the best way to go," explained Smith. "Plus I would have voted absentee anyway because of my age. I'm coming out here to vote because we're in a world of trouble if we don't get the right person in."
The Newberry Voter Registration Office will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.