The June 9 Primaries and associated June 23 Primary Runoffs will be held as scheduled. The State Election Commission (SEC) has no authority to delay the primaries or enact any changes to the way our elections are required to be conducted by law. Qualified voters will be encouraged to vote absentee by mail, but we also must provide in-person absentee voting at county elections offices and election day voting at polling places.
State and county election officials know many of our long-serving and dedicated poll managers, particularly those that fall into high-risk categories, have decided that working the polls in June is not worth the associated risk to their health. The SEC understands and respects each and every poll manager’s decision on whether to serve in this challenging time. We thank you for your service. Our sincere hope is that as our situation improves, you can continue serving in the future.
If you are willing and able to serve, South Carolina needs you. The fact is we must have poll managers to have elections. Unless new poll managers step up to serve, we expect counties will have to close and consolidate polling places.
The SEC and county election officials will be doing everything we can to help make polling places as safe as possible for voters and poll managers, including: providing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and disposable cotton swabs for making touchscreen selections. We will also provide online training when possible and small-group, socially-distanced training when necessary.
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Apply to be a Poll Manager
Poll Managers (except Poll Manager Assistants) must be registered to vote in South Carolina.
Any 16 or 17-year-old can apply to be a Poll Manager Assistant.
Clerks must be a registered voter in the county in which they are serving or an adjoining county.
Poll Managers may not be a candidate or the spouse, parent, child, brother, or sister of a candidate at any polling place where the candidate’s name appears on the ballot.