COLUMBIA, S.C. — Folks in Clarendon County are flocking to the polls and voting early for the Nov. 4 election.
This follows the trend being seen throughout the state. How much of an increase has there been this year?
According to Clarendon County Elections Director Sharmane Anderson, of the county's 24,762 registered voters, 16% have already cast a vote, with that number expected to increase during the weekend. For comparison, Anderson said the county had a 4% turnout in the primaries.
On Friday, those voters headed to the county administration building, the only early voting stop in the county. One of those excited voters was 20-year-old Jordan Blanding. He took Friday to vote in his second election. He said voting is an important step in planning for the future.
"I'm going into education. A lot of people want to make changes to the education system," Blanding said. "So, if we want better for students or for our community, we should get out and vote."
Anderson said part of the record-high turnout is thanks to drive-thru voting. She said that, so far, over 500 voters have cast a ballot.
"We are able to offer that to our elderly citizens as well as our disabled citizens and just those that can't stand up for a long amount of time," she said.
That is exactly why 66-year-old Ruth Mae Pearson chose to utilize the drive-thru option. She's suffered a spinal injury resulting from a car accident and was worried about standing in a long line on election day.
"A lot of people, they got handicap problems, you know, so it's good," Pearson said.
Early voting in Clarendon is open for its last day Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. After that, voters wishing to cast a ballot will have to do so on Nov. 8 - Election Day.
