Absentee voters in South Carolina will be spared the cost of a postage stamp when sending in their ballots for November’s general election.
Amid a federal lawsuit brought by several plaintiffs against the South Carolina Election Commission (SEC), the agency has agreed to provide prepaid postage to mail in absentee ballots.
A complaint filed in May alleges, among other things, that requiring voters to pay for postage to return absentee ballots by mail violates voters’ constitutional rights by unduly burdening the right to vote and imposing a poll tax. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the South Carolina Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
SEC denies the allegations, but agreed in stipulations filed Wednesday to provide prepaid postage on absentee ballot envelopes this November. Funded with COVID-19 relief dollars, SEC estimates the cost of postage will be between $750,000 and $1.2 million.
“In consultation with the governor’s office, the SEC has determined that providing voters and county election officials with postage-paid return envelopes in 2020 will be a prudent use of COVID-19 funding,” Chris Whitmire, director of public information for SEC, told The Center Square. “Postage-paid return envelopes will help ensure every registered voter has the opportunity to vote during the pandemic.”
SEC said the move will remove the postage barrier for voters, save counties money in insufficient postage charges and ensure every ballot will count.
The South Carolina Democratic Party considers the decision a major step forward.
“It’s a win for our voters because it allows for voters to be more confident in our absentee ballot mail-in system, that their votes will be counted,” Shaundra Young Scott, director of voter protection for the South Carolina Democratic Party, told The Center Square.
As it stands, the stipulation applies only to November’s general election, but Scott said the move sets legal precedent for future efforts.
“It would definitely give us good precedent and good ground to stand on in further arguments to expand,” Scott said.
The South Carolina Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment.
