With Saturday the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, offices in T&D Region counties plan Saturday hours to allow sign-ups.

Voter registration offices in Orangeburg, Lexington, Bamberg and Barnwell will be open from 9 a.m. unitl noon. Offices in Allendale and Calhoun will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The hours are 9 to 1 in Dorchester.

In addition to registering in person, applications can be mailed, but must be postmarked by Oct. 4. Download and print a voter registration application from scVOTES.org.

The State Election Commission reminds that voters who have moved from one county to another must register in their new county by Oct. 4 to be eligible on Nov. 4.

Plus the SEC on Thursday clarified the eligibility of convicted felons who have completed their sentences.

The question has been raised of whether a person who was removed from the voter registration list for a qualifying conviction and is re-registering would have to meet the 30-day voter registration deadline. The SEC has found that state law requires voters in this situation to meet the deadline.

S.C. Code of Laws Section 7-3-20 requires the executive director of the State Election Commission to “delete the name of any elector... who has been convicted of a qualifying crime.”

Voters who are removed from the voter registration list for a qualifying conviction are deleted from the list and do not have permanent registration. This means any person removed from the list for a qualifying conviction must complete a new application before the books close 30 days prior to an election to qualify to vote in the election, the SEC says.

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