Welcome to the blog of the...

Good Evening,  

The following is for homeowners on Upper Rockyford Lake who may need to use an absentee ballot in the June 21 referendum on the Special Tax District to restore our lake. 

Remember that we want every person in the 61 households who is registered to vote to participate in this referendum. It will be very helpful to have a very substantial turnout in this process. 

If your calendar indicates that you will be away from Columbia on that day, the Lake Boards urges you to take the steps to complete an absentee ballot. 

IF you or another voting member of your household will be away from Columbia on June 21, we encourage that voter to use an ABSENTEE BALLOT. You may review the following information, or call the Richland County Election Commission at (803) 576-2240 for direct instructions. 

Remember that the absentee ballot information must be completed four days prior to the election. We assume these are working days -- so we suggest this be done prior to June 14. 

The information below this link comes from the Richland County Elections Commission website: 

http://www.richlandonline.com/Government/Departments/VoterRegistration.aspx

Absentee Voting

Applications
Applications to vote may be made in person at the Voter Registration Office at 2020 Hampton Street or at voter registration drives throughout the County.  Online voter registration is available at www.scvotes.org.  To complete voter registration online, you MUST have a valid driver's license or identification card issued by the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.  Additionally, you may register by completing a mail-in form and returning it to: Richland County Board of Voter Registration P.O. Box 192 Columbia SC 29202
(803) 576-2240
If you move within Richland County, complete the change of address form and mail it to the address above. If you move from one county to another, contact that county for information on voter Registration.  Click SC County Info for a list of SC counties and contact information.

Can't make it to the polls on election day?  You may be eligible to vote using an absentee ballot. Determine if you qualify for absentee voting by visiting www.scvotes.org or by calling (803) 576-2240.

Requests for absentee ballots are also available online by visiting  www.scvotes.org.  Once completed, please PRINT, SIGN, and MAIL to the address listed below:

Richland County Board of Voter Registration 

P.O. Box 192 

Columbia, SC 29202

Time of Application

Any elector wishing to vote by absentee ballot must apply to the voters' registration board in his county of residence.  They may submit applications for absentee ballots anytime during the calendar year in which they are holding the election in which the elector wishes to vote by absentee ballot.  The registration board must receive completed applications returned by mail by 5:00 p.m., four days before the election; however, any elector applying in person may apply until 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election.If you are registered to vote and you meet one of the above listed qualifications, visit or contact your county board of voter registration, either by phone or mail, and ask for an application to vote absentee.  The application can be completed in the office or mailed to you, once the application is completed and returned, you will be provided with a ballot for the upcoming election you have requested.

Persons Qualifying to Vote Absentee:

• Any qualified elector in the following categories is eligible to receive absentee ballots:
• Students, their spouses and dependents residing with them.  (The term "students" will mean all persons residing outside the counties of their respective residences, enrolled in an institution of learning.)
• Members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines, their spouses and dependents residing with them.
• Persons serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, their spouses and dependents residing with them.
• Employment. (The term "employment" means those persons who by virtue of their employment obligations will be absent from their county of residence on election day during the hours the polls are open and will be unable to vote in person, or those persons who are required by their employment obligations to be at their place of employment in their county of residence during the entire hours that the polls are open (7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) and will be unable to vote in person, and who present written certification of such obligations, signed by their employer, to the county board of registration.)
• Physically disabled persons.  (The term "physically disabled persons" will mean a person who, because of injury or illness cannot be present in person at his polling place on election day, whether physically present inside or outside his county of residence.)
• Government employees, their spouses and dependents residing with them, who are out of their county of residence on election day.
• Electors with a death or funeral in the family within a three day period prior to the election.
• Persons on vacation (who because of vacation plans will be absent from a county of residence on election day).
• Poll managers, county voter registration board members and staff, and county election commission members and staff working on election day.
• Overseas citizens.
• Persons attending sick or physically disabled persons.
• Persons admitted to hospitals as emergency patients on the day of election or within a four-day period before the election.
• Persons who will be serving as jurors in a state or federal court on election day.
• Persons 65 years of age or older.
• Persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial.