Historically, South Carolina residents have needed an excuse to cast ballots before Election Day. That changed in 2020, when state lawmakers extended absentee voting — both in-person and by-mail voting — to all registered voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Afforded more flexibility in voting, South Carolinians responded in a big way.
During the 2020 general election, the state smashed its previous record for absentee ballots cast, and for the first time ever, absentee votes exceeded votes cast on Election Day.
