Voting in York County

The General Election is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Find your polling place, check yiour registration and see a sample ballot at SCVotes.gov

Early voting polls will be open on Mondays through Saturdays, Oct. 21, through Nov. 2, 2024. Locations below. You can vote at any of the six early voting locations in York County.

There’s an incredibly detailed calendar for all election activity (voting, early voting, candidate filing, etc.) from the SC Election Commission here.

And while the Primaries are over, it’s good to remember that you do not register with a political party in South Carolina. In Primaries, you do express a one-time preference when you choose which ballot to take, and if there is a runoff, you are limited to vote in that party in that runoff. After that, you are wide open again.

And of course you are not required to vote for that party or candidate in the General Election in November.

If you voted in either Presidential Primary in February. or the (Republican-only) SC Primary in June, you are not required to vote for those candidates in November.

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Important election dates and deadlines:

Deadline to register to vote for the General Election is 30 days prior to the election. Effectively Friday, October 5, 2024. So registration is closed for the November 5 general election.
Learn more about Registering to Vote here.
November 5: General Election Day
- Polls open 7 am to 7 pm. Find your polling place here
Absentee (by mail) ballot request deadline was October 25, either in person or received by mail. Absentee ballots must be returned either in person or receved by mail by Election Day, November 5, 2024

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Voter Information

The SCVotes.gov web site is a one-stop shop for voter information. You can

check and update your voter registration.
Get a sample ballot (when they’re ready).
Find your Polling Place and more.

VoteBlueSC is another voter information resource with a section on voting rights and a FAQ about voting in South Carolina.

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Voter Registration

Are you registered to vote?

You must be registered no less than 30 days before an election. Registration is closed for the November 5, 2024 General Election.

The SC DMV offers voter registration when you get your Driver’s License, so chances are you registered then. If you’re not sure, check here. (that’s the official State site)

Who can register?
Who can vote in SC?

You have to be a US Citizen, over 18 by election day, and a SC resident in the county and precinct in which you are registering/voting. You can’t be under a court order declaring you mentally incompetent. You can’t be in prison following a conviction. If you have been convicted of a felony or offense against the election laws, you must have served your entire sentence, including probation or parole, or have received a pardon for the conviction.

If you need to register, first you need an up-to-date SC Driver’s License or State ID. If you don’t have one, or if you’ve moved, your first stop is at the DMV. While you’re there getting or updating your Driver’s License or ID, you can also register to vote (watch those deadlines!).

If you’re all set with your Driver’s License or State ID – but you’re not registered to vote – you can register online. You can also register in person at the York County Government Center in the town of York. Here’s a list of other agencies that offer voter registration. Finally, voter registration tables are usually set up at a variety of events and rallies.

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Voting in person —
What do you need?

South Carolina has a Voter ID Law that requires a Photo ID, but does have exceptions. For most people, a current SC Drivers License or ID Card is all you need. Other accepted IDs include a SC Voter Registration Card with Photo, Federal Military ID (Includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card), and a US Passport (Includes US Passport ID Card).

If you don’t have a Photo ID, but you are registered to vote, you can get a free Photo ID from your county voter registration and elections office or your local DMV office.

More details on voting and a list of exceptions from the Photo ID requirement are here in an extensive FAQ from SCVotes.

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Early Voting

(2024 leftover dates)

General Election, Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Early Voting has closed for the 2024 General Election. The dates were: Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, thru Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024

8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays and state holidays.

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Early Voting Locations

(2024 leftover locations)

Six early voting locations for the November General Election were open in York County.
York County voters were able to vote at ANY of these early voting sites.

York Area
Lifeway Church
114 Congress St S, York, SC 29745
Directions: Lifeway Church - Google Maps

Lake Wylie Area
Imagine Church of the Carolinas
5501 State Highway 55 E, Clover, SC 29710
Directions: Imagine Church of the Carolinas - Google Maps

Fort Mill and Tega Cay areas
Carolinas Cornerstone
1790 Gardendale Rd, Fort Mill, SC 29708
Directions: 1790 Gardendale Rd - Google Maps

Fort Mill Community Center
1011 Talbot Dr, Fort Mill, SC 29715
Directions: Fort Mill Community Center (Formerly Banks Street Gym) - Google Maps

Rock Hill Area
Baxter Hood Center at York Tech
375 Anderson Rd S, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Directions: 375 Anderson Rd S - Google Maps

Clinton College – Library (Rock Hill Area)
1029 Crawford Road, Rock Hill, SC 29730
Directions: 1029 Crawford Rd - Google Maps

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Vote by Mail
(Absentee Voting)

Absentee (by mail) ballot request deadline was October 25, either in person or received by mail. Absentee ballots must be returned either in person or receved by mail by Election Day, November 5, 2024

In South Carolina, voting by mail is still called Absentee Voting. Everyone over 65 may vote by mail. Most people younger than 65 must vote in person, but there are exceptions. The list includes things like employment, illness, travel, disabilities, Armed Forces and Merchant Marine service.

The SC Election Commission has this detailed FAQ for Absentee Voting in 2024. It should answer almost any question.

Note that there is no online application for Absentee Voting (state law). But you can download the forms to complete and mail back to your County Board of Elections.

Authorized Representative Form
Used when requesting an absentee application on behalf of a Voter.
Authorized Returnee Form
Used when returning absentee by-mail ballot on behalf of a Voter.

All requestors are limited to five requests in addition to their own per election. Voters may participate in only one party’s presidential preference primary.

The request period began on January 1, 2024. You can apply until October 25 for the November 5 General Election if you expect to qualify.

The FAQ says that ballots will be mailed to Absentee Voters about 30 days before the election.

You can return the ballot in person to the York County voter registration office, or you can mail it in. If you return it in person, you will need a Photo ID, same as voting in person.

Ballots returned by mail should be mailed no later than one week prior to election day to help ensure timely delivery. Ballots must be received by the York County voter registration office by 7:00 p.m. on election day.