The Hopkins Elementary polling location had no line at 12:30 p.m. Workers said the day had been calm and there were “no issues.” (Photo by Mary Gaughan/Carolina News & Reporter)
Former president Donald Trump won South Carolina’s presidential election on Tuesday with 58% of the state’s vote.
The Associated Press called S.C. for Trump, the national victor, shortly after 8 p.m. on Election Day night.
The day came after about 1.47 million votes already had been cast in early voting, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. Another 100,000 had been cast by mail. The state has about 3.5 million registered voters.
Poll workers said lines were minimal and moved quickly Tuesday, in part because of early voting.
Day-of vote totals were being reported slowly Tuesday night. More than 2.5 million votes were cast across the state.
A majority of voters, 66%, in Lexington County voted for Trump. Almost 78% of Lexington County’s 190,000 registered voters cast a ballot.
Richland lagged behind, with 69.9% of registered voters participating. The majority, 66.33%, of those presidential votes went to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Democrat Heather Bauer won against Republican Kirkman Finlay in the contentious S.C. House District 75 race. Bauer received 53% of the district’s votes.
The state also elected a second Republican woman to the U.S. House. Sheri Biggs won with 71% of the vote in the Western S.C. District 3 race against Democrat Bryon Best.
In many polling places in the Midlands, early and absentee voting led to shorter wait times.
“It’s really been a very uneventful day,” Kilbourne Park Baptist poll clerk Rusty DePass said.
Melanie Murphy drove three blocks from her house to the Kilbourne Park Baptist polling location. She didn’t wait at all to vote.
“This is kind of surprising that I could just walk straight in,” Murphy said. “This precinct is normally crazy busy. I’ve been in a line out the door before.”
Michael Gauthreaux, a retired Columbia native who voted former president Donald Trump, said he did not have to wait in line at the Hand Middle School polling place. He said the voting process was very easy.
“Times will change tomorrow,” Gauthreaux said. “This is all part of our country’s growing pains – It’s an ugly time.”
Richland County resident Jannie Roberts voted at A.C. Flora High School, and she’s looking forward to less tension after Election Day.
“No matter what happens, it’s got to be calmer,” she said. “We’re looking for peace now.”
Carolina News & Reporter writers Mary Gaughan and Sydney Zulywitz contributed.
