Columbia, SC (WLTX) — On the final days before the midterm elections, voters across South Carolina are getting out to have their voices heard.
Saturday was the second to last day for in-person absentee voting. At the Richland County Election Commission's office, voters lined the sidewalk for the chance to vote.
Related coverage: South Carolina 2018 midterm elections: how to vote absentee, early
Despite their different reasons for not being able to vote on Tuesday, one thing was the same.
"I didn't want the fact that I had to be out of town for work to not give me the opportunity to exercise my right to vote," Barbara Turner said.
Hannah Cowan traveled for hours from school for her chance to vote.
"This is such an important election," Cowan said. "100 years ago, I wasn't allowed to vote, so that's kind of how I view everything; take nothing for granted."
A bus picked-up students and the elderly and dropped them off at the polls. Catherine Bruce was one of the organizers aboard.
"If there are ways that we can change things, voting has to be on the agenda," Bruce said. "It has to be in our tool kit for making change."
Once the polls closed, the bus headed to the State House where a small group of organization leaders from groups like Black Lives Matter and the University of South Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union gathered by the State House to encourage people to get out and vote on November 6.
"We need everyone in our community to participate in our political system," Bruce said.
Monday is the last day to vote in person absentee at county elections commission. People who received mailed-in paper ballots can return them to their county elections office as late as election day.