Berkeley County releases updated statement on absentee ballot issue

Berkeley County is investigating the cause of an absentee ballot issue in which duplicate ballots were sent to certain registered absentee voters in Berkeley County ahead of the General Election.

The county has been working with the SC Election Commission on this situation. To date, the county has determined 488 voters received duplicate ballots.

Berkeley County continues to investigate the cause of this situation that the state has labeled a “clerical error.” As of the issuance of this statement, the Berkeley County Voter Registration & Elections Office has discovered no evidence of such an error in its reporting systems. However, this Office is continuing to review its processes regarding absentee ballot data input and reporting.

Berkeley County reminds the public that state law prohibits any person from voting more than once in the same election and that the county also has safeguards in place to prevent such an act. Specifically, SC Code § 7-25-110 states the following:

“It is unlawful for a person qualified to vote at any general, special, or primary election for an office whether local, state, or federal, to vote more than once at such election, for the same office. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned not more than five years.”

For questions, please call Berkeley County Voter Registration and Elections at 843-719-4056.