COUNTY — Pickens County election officials are working to prepare for the 2016 presidential preference primaries set for February.

The Republican primary is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20, while the Democratic primary will be held Saturday, Feb. 27.

Voters may participate in only one party’s presidential preference primary, and the deadline to register to vote in either is Jan. 27.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and the primaries will be held under the rules for providing photo ID at the polling place, according to election officials. Voters will be asked to provide one of the following photo IDs at their polling place: S.C. driver’s license, S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles ID card, S.C. voter registration card with photo, federal military ID or U.S. passport.

Voters without a photo ID can get one free of charge from the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Pickens County Registration and Elections Office. Voters who encounter an obstacle to getting a photo ID should bring their voter registration card without a photo with them to their polling place. These voters can then sign an affidavit swearing to their identity and to their obstacle to obtaining a photo ID and cast a paper provisional ballot. The ballot will count unless the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Pickens County has grounds to believe the affidavit is false.

For more information on photo ID or a list of polling places, visit pickenselections.org. Call (864) 898-5948 or (864) 898-5949 with questions.