Absentee Voting High in Lexington County

About 75 people were waiting in line Wednesday afternoon at the Lexington County Registration and Election Commission to cast their absentee ballots. But election officials said voters were getting through that line quickly.

More than 9,000 Lexington County residents have voted absentee as of Friday, according to the S.C. Election Commission. That number includes in-person and mail-in absentee ballots. About 15,000 Lexington County residents voted absentee in the 2008 election.

The elections office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday for voters to cast their absentee ballots.

Who are you voting for? Check out the Lexington Election Guide.

To vote absentee in South Carolina, residents must be 65 years old or older, be out of town for work or for vacation or have another reason that they cannot vote on Nov. 6. Click here to see acceptable reasons for absentee voting.

A flood of absentee voters in South Carolina Tuesday caused the voting machines to temporarily shut down. The machines were back up and running after about 10 minutes.

Absentee ballots remain secure until Nov. 6 when they are counted with the rest of the ballots.  

Lexington County residents who have questions should call the Lexington County Registration and Election Commission at 803-785-8361.