Many political observers saw the\u00a0 midterm election as a referendum on President Trump and a bellwether for the 2020 presidential election.<\/p>\n
Here are snapshots from precincts around the Midlands:<\/p>\n
Teaching the next generation<\/strong><\/p>\n It was not a hard decision for 66-year-old Sharon Bates to head to the voting polls early Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up always voting,\u201d Bates said. \u201cIt was something my parents impressed upon us when we were very young.\u201d The \u00a0retired teacher decided to bring her young grandson with her to teach him the importance of voting.<\/p>\n \u201cI want him to learn what the importance of making a change is, especially when he grows up and can make decisions on his own,” she said.\u00a0 She also hoped to make a change in Washington by voting a Democratic ticket.<\/p>\n Rain won’t keep her away<\/strong><\/p>\n A rainy Tuesday morning didn\u2019t stop Diane Hartness, a teacher at Newberry High School, from voting for change.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t miss an election,\u201d Hartness said. \u201cIt is our right and responsibility to have some say who governs our state.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she doesn\u2019t agree with the policies that are coming from the federal level. \u201cI think they\u2019re going to hurt our state in the long run,\u201d Hartness said.<\/p>\n Hartness was excited to cast her vote for Democrat James Smith for governor since he has been her representative in the S.C. House for a number of years.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t vote, don\u2019t have an excuse<\/strong><\/p>\n For retired Marine Larry Forta, getting to the polls on Tuesday wasn\u2019t an issue. Forta has voted throughout his life and his precinct at Shady Grove Methodist Church had plenty of parking.<\/p>\n This time however, Forta had a big reason to get out and vote.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t vote, you don\u2019t have an excuse,\u201d Forta said. \u201cI hope that my vote will sort of put a hole in Trump\u2019s people.\u201d<\/p>\n Forta was in the Marine Corps for 20 years before moving to Ballentine. In years past, the Ballentine area has had difficulties with voting efficiency. One year, people stood outside of the local high school from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to vote.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a long day,\u201d Forta recalled. \u201cI stood out there for six hours in line. You want to stand in line to vote, but a lot of people left. We were there all day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0Protesting Trump policies<\/strong><\/p>\n Donald Ellisor, a 65-year-old retiree who lives in Lexington, is short and to-the-point about why he\u2019s motivated to vote.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t like Trump,\u201d Ellisor said.<\/p>\n He stood in line at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church around 11 a.m., where the wait time was about 30 minutes. As people arrived to the church, many looked inside and vowed to return after \u201cgetting breakfast\u201d and \u201cwhen the line [wasn\u2019t] so long.\u201d<\/p>\n Ellisor had no reservations about speaking his mind on the political state of affairs in South Carolina and the United States. His discontent lay primarily with taxes, and he said the government is \u201cgoing in the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t cut taxes when you got a deficit, and then the next year you come and want to reduce spending because you cut taxes the year before,\u201d said Ellisor.<\/p>\n Ellisor hopes his vote will help make lawmakers \u201cget off their butts and do something, instead of just sitting there and saying \u2018I haven\u2019t raised taxes.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want a better government.”<\/p>\n For the fairness of all voters<\/strong><\/p>\n Andy Yasinsac, a 75-year-old retired environmental engineer, woke up before 5 a.m. on Tuesday to work at his local polling place, Brockman Elementary School in Forest Acres, for the fourth year in a row.<\/p>\n Yasinsac thought it would be in poor taste for a poll worker to discuss his own political views, but he said some voters are concerned about the decisiveness of today\u2019s politicians.<\/p>\n He also said the reason he comes out to work the polls is to help prevent any voter suppression.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to make sure that all the voters are treated fairly,\u201d Yasinsac said. \u201cAnd everyone that has a basis to vote is given an opportunity to vote and is not turned away for bogus reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n Republican across the board<\/strong><\/p>\n Troy Ott happily waited his turn to vote at Kilbourne Baptist Church late Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n The 53-year-old real estate broker\u2019s reasoning for doing his civic duty is simple.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep the economy going strong, less regulations, lower taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n Ott is self-employed and said it\u2019s important for S.C. to have a good \u201cbusiness climate\u201d across the board. A staunch Republican, Ott said he supported President Trump in 2016. He also expressed support for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying that the recent hearings deciding the judge\u2019s position were a disgrace.<\/p>\n \u201cIt confirmed my beliefs about the opposition,\u201d Ott said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n Changing the vote<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis is a very red precinct, but we do exist,\u201d said Beth Barry, a health education consultant and Columbia resident who leans left politically, as she waited to vote at Kilbourne Baptist Church.<\/p>\n Barry, 60, is the senior program manager for the nonprofit Alliance for Healthier Generations\u2019 \u201chealthy schools\u201d program.<\/p>\n Raised a Republican, Barry said she voted for the late President Ronald Reagan in her first election, but now she\u2019s looking to swing the other way because she sees America going \u201cbackward.\u201d<\/p>\n Barry doesn\u2019t see a wave of blue votes in the Palmetto State\u2019s near future, but she is hopeful that residents want to have civil discourse and work together.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe we\u2019ve got to address inequities in health, economics, housing and I\u2019m very motivated about healthcare for all,\u201d said Barry. \u201cI think people forget that most of us are descendants of immigrants, and the whole \u2018Give me your tired and your poor,\u2019 what happened to that?\u201d<\/p>\n Inspiring the younger generation<\/strong><\/p>\n Poll manager Marilyn Summers has some experience when it comes to election day. Summers, 76, has been a poll manager for 40 years and says she has a tie to the community of Briarwood, which has been her home since 1966.<\/p>\n Summers\u2019 hope is to inspire younger voters, like her two high-school aged grandchildren, to participate today.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the news last night, they were talking about how we\u2019ve got to recruit younger people, and I was like \u2018yes we do\u2019,\u201d said Summers.<\/p>\n For future generations<\/strong><\/p>\n For Nadine Edney, 56, the call to vote stems from the reality that there are big changes coming for her young grandchildren. Edney is a Briarwood resident and brought her grandson with her to E.L. Wright Middle School to cast her vote.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s important,\u201d Edney said. \u201cWe have to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Board member voting for education<\/strong><\/p>\n Richland 2 School Board member Cheryl Caution-Parker stood outside of Dent Middle School Tuesday campaigning for her re-election to the school board. Caution-Parker also put in a good word for the\u00a0 proposed $468 million Richland 2 school bond referendum, which was also on the ballot. The proposal would fund improvements in safety, security, and transportation, and she sees that as a positive move for the district.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing worse than when you have a governor who\u2019s focused in one direction on education and the state superintendent of education focused in another direction,\u201d said Caution-Parker. \u201cTo me in that kind of situation, very little is accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n Caution-Parker has an emotional tie to the Dentsville area after previously serving as Dent Middle School\u2019s principal.<\/p>\n A drive to vote<\/strong><\/p>\n Garrick Turner came to the polls to vote in the midterm elections but lamented he had not done as much research as he would have liked on the school board candidates who were on the ballot.<\/p>\n But he said the drive to vote is what brought him to the polls Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI typically do vote in midterm elections; I really do make a point of it,\u201d said Turner.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Going to shambles<\/strong><\/p>\n The line at Richland County Voter Registration and Elections was out the door and close to spilling into the street, but that didn\u2019t hinder 74-year-old former Rep. Frank McBride from casting his vote. He said he has never missed an election.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very important that you vote. People died for that,\u201d McBride said.<\/p>\n McBride, a lawmaker who spent 10 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to involvement in Operation Lost Trust in 1991, said he wants \u201cTrump out of that White House.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing we have got to change is the mold of this country,\u201d McBride said. \u201cThis country is going to shambles, and it\u2019s going to be something worse than that if change isn\u2019t made 500 miles up that road.\u201d<\/p>\n Voting for education<\/strong><\/p>\n For Brock Dillard, 47, voting in this election was a way to keep the country moving in what he sees as the right direction.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an independent voter; I don\u2019t pull for one party or the other, but I do really like the way the country is going now economically,\u201d said Dillard. \u201cI like the way that it\u2019s going and I want that to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n The Alabama native, who works in medical sales, voted at Dreher High School for Gov. Henry McMaster and his lieutenant governor running mate Pam Evette. With two children currently attending Dreher, he also felt it was important to vote for Jackie Barker for Richland One School Board.<\/p>\n He feels that the McMaster-Evette ticket will support his views on immigration, another key issue for Dillard.<\/p>\n \u201cI do believe that every person has the right to come to the U.S. but I think they need to do it by legal means,\u201d said Dillard. \u201cI don\u2019t think anybody should sidestep the rules that have been in place for hundreds of years.\u201d<\/p>\n Back to America\u2019s roots<\/strong><\/p>\n Deborah Howell, a 66-year-old Columbia native who voted for Democrat James Smith at the Lourie Center, cast her ballot in hopes of changing the current political climate \u2013 one that she sees as frighteningly reminiscent of the political tensions that was taking place during her teen years.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a teenager in the 1960\u2019s when the Vietnam War was going on and when so many of our leaders were being gunned down and I remember that feeling of unrest form that time,\u201d said Howell.<\/p>\n \u201cToday so many of those feelings are being brought back. It\u2019s like we\u2019ve lost ourselves and we don\u2019t know who we are. I have been praying that we will come back to being people who care about one another.\u201d<\/p>\n Howell cares about issues that she feels has to do with returning America to being \u201ccompassionate and moral,\u201d such as healthcare and immigration. She wants to see a decrease in harsh political rhetoric in America, allowing space for respectful discussion and opportunity for those who are in need.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need standards and some legality with our borders, but we need to be able to welcome the downtrodden,\u201d said Howell. \u201cWe need to return to what America has been known for \u2013 being giving, loving, and welcoming to everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Reporters Bria Barton, Rebecca Brennan, T. Michael Boddie, Turner Harrison, Kelly Ann Krueger, Rachel Pittman, Hannah Slater, and Reema Vaidya contributed to this report.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Residents across the Midlands came out in high numbers to cast ballots for South Carolina governor, congressional members and other statewide offices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":14512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" All across the Midlands on Tuesday, citizens exercised their civic duty and went to the polls to cast their votes. From a constitutional amendment to the highest number of absentee voters ever, this year\u2019s election has made history in S.C.<\/p> This year will be the first time in S.C. that the candidates running for lieutenant governor will be on the same ticket as their running mates for governor. McMaster and Smith have both decided to run with female candidates, Evette and Norrell, for this election, which will be only the second time in state history that the lieutenant governor\u2019s position is held by a woman.<\/p> An important topic on the ballot this year is the constitutional amendment regarding how S.C.\u2019s superintendent of education is put into position. With a yes vote, the Superintendent will become a cabinet position that is appointed by the governor starting in 2023. With a no vote, the position will continue to be elected by the people.<\/p> Current superintendent Molly Spearman, who is running unopposed, supports the approval of the amendment and could possibly be the last person elected into the position.<\/p> All of the state\u2019s constitutional offices and House of Representatives seats are up for election, with 69 of the 124 seats running unopposed.<\/p> Neither of the state\u2019s U.S. Senate positions are up for election, so while you won\u2019t find Republicans Lindsay Graham and Time Scott on the ballot, you will be able to vote on the seven congressional seats that are open.<\/p> One congressional race to keep your eye on will be the 1st<\/sup> Congressional District located on the coast. This district has been represented by former governor Mark Sanford for the past five years and is now the center of a heated race between Joe Cunningham and Katie Arrington.<\/p> This midterm election is also important on the national scale due as a way to gauge the current presidency. President Trump has been talking about running for a second term and this election will allow not only his office, but also voters, a way to see how voting will play in, or against, his favor.<\/p> Throughout the day many voters experienced long lines and even malfunctioning voting machines. \u00a0Polls will be open statewide until 7 p.m. and as long as you\u2019re in line by 7 p.m., you\u2019ll have the chance to cast your vote.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[67,62],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14491"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14565,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14491\/revisions\/14565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/SharonBates-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/DianeHartness-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/LarryForta-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/DonaldEllisor_BB-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/AndyYasinsac_TB-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/TroyOtt_TB-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BethBarry_TB-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/MarilynSummers-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/NadineEdney-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/CautionParker-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/GarrickTurner-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/FrankMcBride_BB-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/BrockDillard_RP-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/DeborahHowell_RP-150x150.jpg\")
<\/p>\n