County election officials say claims that poll workers will mark ballots to disqualify votes are false
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
With the Nov. 3 general election approaching, Beaufort County election officials are warning voters about misinformation circulating on social media regarding how ballots are handled at polling places.
According to a statement released by Beaufort County, social media posts have falsely claimed that poll workers will write on voters’ ballots, causing those ballots to be disqualified.
County officials say those claims are not true.
While poll managers are not permitted to write on or make marks on a voter’s ballot, officials emphasized that an accidental mark would not automatically invalidate a ballot.
According to the county, the voting system would still scan the ballot, and the voter’s selections would be counted according to established election procedures.
The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections is encouraging residents to be cautious about election-related information shared on social media and to rely on official sources when questions arise about voting procedures.
Voters seeking accurate information about South Carolina’s election process can visit scVOTES.gov or contact their local elections office.
The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.