LEXINGTON, S.C. — Lexington County saw a record number of people at the polls the first day of absentee voting on Monday.
Many people are choosing to vote absentee this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday, October 5, was the first day voters could head to the polls to vote in-person.
"Today's been crazy," said Mary Brack, director of Registration and Elections for Lexington County. "We started at like 6:30 this morning getting prepared, and we were ready to open at 8."
Throughout the day, the department has seen a steady line of absentee voters for both those voting inside on machines and those voting curbside.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, 680 absentee voters had cast their ballot in Lexington County.
With how many people they've had throughout the day, Brack expects them to have 700 to 800 absentee voters on the first day alone.
"This is normally like the last day of absentee voting, but this is the first day," Brack explained. "Everything is running smoothly. We've just had a few hiccups with the printers and stuff, but other than that, our line is moving fast."
They've also seen a good amount of people bringing back ballots that were mailed out.
While a long line remained steady outside of the voter registration building, most people only waited 20 minutes to vote.
Curbside voting is also available to anyone who is 65-years-old or older or physically disabled.
Brack says they're expecting the same amount of people to vote over the next couple of days.
"I think this will calm down, maybe towards the end of the week. I don't know. I've never seen it like this before," Brack said. "If you come here to absentee vote, you need to bring your patience. There hasn't been that many people that are in a hurry. A few people are in a hurry. But for the most part, everybody has been really good."
When people come to vote, they need to make sure they bring a valid photo ID. That could include your South Carolina Drivers License, a South Carolina ID card, a passport, a military ID or a concealed license permit.