In rare bipartisanship these days, House Republicans in the South Carolina legislature joined their Democratic colleagues to safeguard early voting in the state. This article by Emily Bohatch is published by The State. Here is an excerpt:

House Republicans rejected a push from within their own party Wednesday to close the state’s primary elections, and instead unanimously advanced a bipartisan proposal that would add two weeks of excuse-free early voting and allow local election offices to count ballots early. Lawmakers passed the bill, sponsored by House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, in the wake of a record breaking number of absentee ballots cast in 2020. South Carolina offered no-excuse absentee voting because of the ongoing pandemic. As a result, more than a million residents took advantage.

What does the SC House Elections Bill do?

Under current law, South Carolina voters can only cast absentee ballots if they meet certain criteria, such as a disability or older than 65 years old.

Read the full story here.