Poll workers arrange stickers to read “Thanks” at Stiles Point Elementary School on Election Day in on Nov. 3, 2020, in Charleston, South Carolina. (File/Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
When it comes to elections, disruptions tend to get the most attention. Whether it’s the risk of artificial intelligence, natural disasters, political violence, election subversion, or foreign interference, it can feel like the threats are never-ending.
Yet while early voting begins in South Carolina on Oct. 21, election officials across South Carolina have been diligently preparing for months — and, in many cases, years — to administer a safe, secure, and accurate election, no matter what threats may arise.
Across South Carolina’s 46 counties, election officials, workers, and volunteers work tirelessly to administer elections for the state’s 3.5 million registered voters. Once a quiet, behind-the-scenes position, the responsibilities of election officials today go far beyond the clerical or ministerial. Officials manage everything from complex voting and registration logistics to cybersecurity, crisis management, and public communication.