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Published: Tuesday, Oct. 02, 2012 / Updated: Monday, Oct. 01, 2012 11:56 AM

Deadline to register to vote is Oct. 6

The election to shape future local, federal and international policy comes Nov. 6, but there’s a pretty noticeable deadline for that election coming much sooner.

The registration deadline for being eligible to vote is Saturday, and county registration officials are hoping that voters make sure they’re in line to cast ballots before that date passes.

Am I registered?

Would-be voters can check to see if they’re registered by visiting yorkcountygov.com and clicking the Registration and Elections department tab.

There’s a link on the lower left side allowing residents to fill in their information. Information also is available at scvotes.org.

Registration is available at the Registration and Elections office, 13 S. Congress St., York. Mail-in applications are online at scvotes.org, at any York County library or at a variety of public service offices including the Department of Motor Vehicles.

“Applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 6,” said Wanda Hemphill, director of county Registration and Elections. “Our office will also be open on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to accept applications in person.”

Anyone who turns 18 years old on or before Nov. 6 may register. Registered voters in York County who’ve moved to another address in the county are strongly encouraged to update information, and anyone having moved into the county from anywhere else is considered a new registration.

What’s on the ballot?

A surf through the television commercials this month and the big race is obvious, with President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney highlighting a field of five names that will appear for the nation’s highest office.

But several local decisions will be made, too.

Lake Wylie voters get their choice of incumbent Bruce Henderson and petition candidate John Rinehart for their lone seat on York County Council. They’ll also vote on Clover School Board Seat 3, where Liz Stowe Johnson takes on Ginger Gibson Marr.

Franklin Pendleton and Melanie Wood Wilson are running unopposed for their board seats.

York County Council has two seats with multiple candidates running, Dist. 2 in Lake Wylie/Clover and Dist. 6 in Rock Hill.

Elsewhere, U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney takes on Joyce Knott for the Dist. 5 Congressional seat. State Sen. Wes Hayes goes against Joe Thompson for the Dist. 15 seat.

Statewide, voters will decide whether candidates for governor and lieutenant governor will run on the same ticket beginning in 2018.

If so, the state Senate will begin electing a presiding officer to replace the lieutenant governor, who serves in that role now.

In York County, voters will be asked whether the state Department of Revenue can issue permits allowing beer and wine sales at “off-premises locations without regard to the days or hours of sales.”

Anything else?

Because presidential elections generally draw the most public participation, it’s possible that some voters haven’t been to a booth in the past four years. If not, a few changes of note:

Areas of Bethel No. 1 and a portion of Lakeshore in the last presidential race have now been shifted to the precincts of Wylie, Pole Branch and Mill Creek. Check the county elections site for lines.

Redistricting changed voter districts for state Senate and House, and York County Council.

Also, one thing that hasn’t changed heading toward Nov. 6: Voters should expect and prepare for high turnout.

“We see significant increases in new registrations in presidential years,” Hemphill said.