Your Turnout Stories
We’re getting loaded up with reports of record voter turnout from all across the State of South Carolina today, but we want to know what’s happening in your neck of the woods.
How long did you have to wait in line? How many people were at your polling place?
Just shoot us an e-mail and we’ll be glad to post your turnout reports here on FITS … just shoot us an e-mail here or if you prefer, you can use our handy dandy submission page …
3:27 P.M. – Beaufort, S.C. – Report from GK …
The turnout here is unbelievable …
2:36 P.M. – Spartanburg, S.C. – Report from AML …
I vote at the Ben Avon precinct in Spartanburg. Our precinct was split into two lines, A-L and M-Z. Two and one half hour wait for me in the A-L line. The folks in the M-Z line were voting in about thirty minutes most of my wait. But by the time I left there were only about a dozen people in the lucky line. The A-L folks were a bit miffed.
2:09 P.M. – Lexington, S.C. – Report from B …
2 1/2 hour wait. 4 lines at our Lexington polling. 5 voting machines. averaging 100 votes per hour. 1700 voters so those poll workers will be there until 12…..at least 2 people left line after one hour wait. When we finally voted, chairs were being brought out, water, coffee, tea and cookies available. There has to be a better way. But, very pleased that my area is willing to wait in these lines to vote!
1:44 P.M. – Florence, S.C. – Report from Walter …
I arrived at 6:50 am and got to vote at about 9:10 am. Very long lines. Appeared to be high turn out but by the time I left the line was only about 1/3 as long as it was when I arrived.
12:29 P.M. – Charleston, S.C. – Report from J.S. Luck …
“I waited nearly four hours to vote in Charleston (Floyd Manor). Incredible turnout. Some first-time voters. One fellow told me he had not voted in nearly 30 years.”
12:20 P.M. – Downtown Columbia, S.C. – report from J …
“Crayton Middle School. Largest election in history and they are short staffed. Woman running the place is more concerned with snacks and chit-chat than telling people which line they need to be in. We stood in line for about an hour and twenty minutes, after watching the “officials†carry off one of 6 machines. It came back a few minutes later – actually think I might have voted on the malfunctioning machine. Hope my vote counted.
ALSO they were out of stickers by 1030. How am I supposed to get my litany of free shit (Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Ben & Jerry’s, Gervais & Vine)? I need to know what life is going to be like under Obama, seeing as how I’m likely going to be funding all of his insane programs as opposed to receiving the benefits.”
12:11 P.M. – Northeast Columbia, S.C. – report from Todd …
I voted at Rice Creek Elementary and it took 3 hours and fifteen minutes. After the 2004 problems that ended with people voting until after 11 P.M., you think that Richland County would have done something about the situation. 14 voting machines for thousands of people, ridiculous.
12:03 P.M. – Batesburg-Leesville, S.C. – report from Mary …
“Black voters are being bussed in more regular than usual …”
11:52 A.M. – Columbia, S.C. – report from “Democratic Operative …”
A Democratic operative just e-mailed us and said that the S.C. Legislature is now officially “in play.” Wait … what? We’re going to make some calls to see what’s up with that …
11:39 A.M. – Anderson, S.C. – report from CL …
“Highest turnout in memory …” sounds like we’re going to be hearing that a lot today …
11:00 A.M. – Irmo, S.C. – report from Dutch Fork High School …
Lines are currently 126-deep, with people waiting approximately two hours to vote. Amazingly, it appears our founding editor has received a “write-in” vote for 11th Circuit Solicitor … an office he had no idea he was even running for.
10:45 A.M. – Columbia, S.C. – report from Kristy …
Super hot, super cool Kristy just hooked us up with a report from Columbia (see comments section below). She’s also got the skinny on how you can get free Starbucks coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts for voting! Mmmmm …. donuts …
10:41 A.M. – Greenville, S.C. – report from Palmetto Scoop …
Palmetto Scoop just sent out a blast e-mail with this update from a Greenville voter: “While voting this morning at Stone Academy, in Greenville, SC, there was a very large group of voters who decided to turn the voting line into a Barack Obama pep rally. People were chanting his name, singing his name, shouting, even raising their fists in the “Black Power†salute. Repeated attempts by the polling workers to quiet them were only met with mockery and disrespect from the crowd. They refused to stop. Obviously this type of activity is in direct violation of voter’s rights and state law, and was very intimidating to many us who came to vote in a peaceful and respectful environment. Signs were posted, clearly stating that this type of activity is illegal in the vicinity of the polling place. Please make people aware of this so that action can be taken, and changes can be made.”
Wait … there are black people in Greenville County?
10:24 A.M. – Beaufort, S.C. – report from “Anonymous …”
“I waited for about an hour and forty five minutes at my precinct. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen as many African-Americans voting in my life. I saw two people get turned away for being in the wrong polling place, but there were more black voters than white voters there, and this is traditionally a white precinct.”
10:00 A.M. – Florence, S.C. – report from S.C. Rep. Kris Crawford …
“Folks in line at 6am had 1.5 hr wait to vote. 150 to 200 folks in line at every Republican precinct in the Florence area at 7am when polls open. Highest turnout in memory.”
Comments
By Adam on November 4th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I got to the polling location in Conway at 6:40 and finally got to the booth at 8:10. The line wrapped around the perimeter of the elementary school cafeteria and went out the front door. I’ve heard that all over Horry County it isn’t uncommon today for 200 people to be out at the polls waiting in line.
By kristy on November 4th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I vote at the Maxy Gregg Senior Center in downtown Columbia. I had to wait about 45 min @ 7:45am. I was #77 to sign in. Much busier than it has ever been, at least 50 people in line when I left. Also, got a free coffee at Starbucks with my “I voted” sticker. You can also get a Krispy Creme patriotic doughnut for free for voting. AND at Gervais and Vine “Come in for lunch or dinner and receive a FREE GLASS of Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc or Jargon Pinot Noir if you’re wearing your “I Voted” sticker.”
Not too bad!
By G.L. on November 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Highest turnout in memory up here in Dan Cooper’s fiefdom. An hour and a half wait at least in most of Anderson County. The poll managers at Williamston seem very unprepared and the process has been very disorganized.
By MisFit on November 4th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I’m hoping all these primadonna housewives out here in Lexington voted absentee. There will be probably be a heavy police presence…I’ll be back……………
By Dixie on November 4th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Town of Summit: Got there at 7:45 a.m. and was out the door slightly after 8:00. We have 900 active registered voters and three machines. I was probably the 50th-something in line. Not too bad, but the line had doubled within minutes of my arriving at 7:45.
By reggie on November 4th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
over at river springs wasn’t bad. Proably because anderson/cole wernt in attendance. That may also explain the reason why soccer moms wernt there with picket signs about the bond refrendom.
By b on November 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Columbia, SC
I waited in line in front of a woman with a misbehaving child for 2 hours. The child kept hurling his football to the mom with it bouncing off people waiting in line, causing one fellow voter to concede her spot in line to avoid getting a black eye. She was so proud of the little miscreant…”Tell them your name and how old you are Billy.” The child, old enough to hurl a football, could not get it out, instead he held up 6 fingers.
Additionally, the woman constantly declared “the end of America” and that she was very “scared” of an Obama victory. When she got to the front of the line, her name was not on the list. The poll worker said that she was the sixth person of the morning who’s name was absent from the list. Now she gets to sit with that kid in ANOTHER line.
Also, one of the voting machines kept shutting off while people were in mid-vote. Did these votes count? When they revoted, did it count twice? Instead of shutting the machine off, the poll worker kept trying to plug the bad machine into different wall sockets. Brilliant!!! When the machine continued to shut off and she had run out of wall sockets to try, the poll worker finally unhooked it for good.
As for the man behind me, he declared to anyone near that would listen that “If you don’t know, just skip it…You are holding everyone else up” He apparently advocated that voters wait in line for 2 hours and simply leave the ballot blank. All in all, a typical election day in S.C.
By Natasha on November 4th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
City of Atlanta, Dekalb County, two hours. Of course we were in line long before the poll opened.
By OOOH on November 4th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Downtown Columbia at 10. It took 2 hours.
By this sucks on November 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Been in line at Old Woodlands in columbia for more than 2 hours. Got here at 11:30 and still waiting! The line is barely moving. I’m reconsidering my support for democracy.
By Rylyn on November 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Got to Saxe Gotha Elementary in Red Bank at 9:00 AM – left at 11:10. The 2 hours and 10 minutes were worth it though because I got to vote against most of the incumbents, even if they didn’t have opposition I wrote someone in.
By Aquinas on November 4th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I’m in Nathan Ballentine’s district (Irmo). My wife & I waited in line for 2 hours: in at 9:45, confirming the “vote” button at 11:45. I’ve been to this polling place many times before, and this is the first time they had us wrapped down and around two hallways (usually it’s a straight shot to the cafeteria). Another first: my mother-in-law lives in the same neighborhood and was visited by some Obama supporters doing a little stumping. Overall, folks were very patient. We had six voting booths, and the people working there kept things moving.
By Lexington Voter on November 4th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
In Lexington County – got to the polls right at 7:00 am. Finally voted 2 hours later. There were 8 operational voting machines and everything seemed to run pretty smoothly. Of course those with last names L – Z were hating it as their line was twice as long as the line for last names A – K. Thankfully, my last name starts with a C!
By nope on November 4th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
45 minutes in southern Florence County. A first — I’ve always walked straight in and to the voting machine.
By ElCid on November 4th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Voted this morning at a large A.M.E. church in Charleston County. White folks everywhere. Took about an hour and a half. Hundreds of whiteys in that church, and the KFC across the street doing a brisk business…It was like bizarro world.
Alas, no problems in line and everyone was very cordial. We are the ‘most polite’ city in America, after all.
By KKG on November 4th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Waited in line for an hour and 15 minutes at the Devine St. Fire Station this morning… but the wait was totally worth the free, festive Krispy Kreme doughnut I just got!
By Rob W. on November 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Outside Atlanta, GA (on the upscale side of Sandy Springs in Fulton County): Around 200 people in line when voting booths opened up at 7 AM.
At Georgia Tech: Almost 100 students in line at 11AM, which supposedly was only a 40 minute wait.
By Mincing Words on November 4th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I voted at Bookman Road and something interesting happened: one of the candidates was standing at the false wall separating the cafeteria from the “activity room” where the voting machines were set up telling us to vote for him. No way was it over 100 feet. No way was it 50 feet, unless you count the length of the line and not the actual distance. Any thoughts on this, folks?
By JR on November 4th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Killian park baptist… was awesome. Walked in at 3:25 pm, walked out
at 3:35 pm. Couldn’t have done better than if it was on line and I was in
the privacy of my own home.
By MisFit on November 4th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Anything called an “activity room†should be suspect, period. Report it, dude.