Live Updates: Law enforcement reports no security problems at polls in Columbia, Midlands
After a noisy, seemingly endless campaign season, voters in South Carolina and across the nation are heading to the polls for election day.
A host of races are on the ballot, including the marquee presidential race between Republican former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Voters in South Carolina will also find State House and local races on their ballots.
Election day proper comes after a record-breaking couple of weeks of early voting in South Carolina. More than 1.5 million ballots were cast in early voting, per the SC Election Commission, which is the most in state history. About 1.4 million of those early votes in the Palmetto State were in-person, while another 100,000 came via mail.
Polls are open until 7 p.m. Tuesday across South Carolina. To check your polling place, click here.
What follows below is a running live update of happenings at the polls in the Midlands and other parts of South Carolina throughout the early part of election day, so check back throughout the day.
5:21 p.m. - ‘It’s been a steady stream’
In Columbia’s Wards 3 and 4, located in the capital city’s Earlewood and Elmwood neighborhoods respectively, poll workers described consistent turnout throughout the day with few, if any problems.
”It’s been a steady stream,” said Dominic Armstrong, who is supervising the Ward 4 polling location inside the gym of the Logan Elementary School.
About 450 people have voted as around 4:45, Armstrong said. Voters were not deterred by the rain that fell on Columbia Tuesday morning and while the the number of voters had dropped off during the day, Armstrong said he expected that to pick up after 5.
Inside the Reformation Lutheran Church, which is serving as Ward 3’s polling location, turnout had also been consistent and there had been 407 ballots cast as of around 4:30, said supervisor Jerry White.
5:12 p.m. - Votes still rolling in across Midlands
As of 4:40, the South Carolina Elections Commission was reporting the following numbers out of counties in the Midlands, in terms of ballots cast on Tuesday.. These are unofficial, and based on the number of people that have checked in to vote, said John Michael Catalano, the public information officer at the state elections commission. Polls close at 7 p.m.
Calhoun – 2,770
Richland – 51,629
Lexington – 50,997
Orangeburg – 12,012
Sumter – 13,960
5 p.m. - Calm times at the polls through afternoon
There had not been any law enforcement related incidents at the polls in Richland County or the city of Columbia through 5 p.m. Tuesday, The State’s Sammy Fretwell reported. Authorities have been on alert and prepared to respond if needed at the end of what has been a hectic, divisive campaign season nationwide.
2:29 p.m. - SLED chief says few security problems seen at polls early Tuesday
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel on Tuesday afternoon said all appears calm in precincts across the state.
“Right now, everything seems to be going well – we have some minor little things, people taking pictures of their ballots and things like that. Otherwise, things are very quiet,” Keel said. “People are voting, and that’s a good thing.”
Taking photos of ballots is not permitted.
SLED agents are coordinating with numerous agencies, including the FBI, city and county law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s office and the S.C. Election Commission to monitor election-related events around South Carolina, Keel said.
And SLED has agents at various state, federal, and local law enforcement command posts including one aimed at detecting any cyber-security infrastructure threats, Keel said.
“We’ll be here til after the polls close,” Keel said.
SLED has been working with other agencies to get ready for Election Day, he said.
“We’ve got a good plan,” said Keel. “We’re prepared for whatever we might have to do if we have to do it.”
2:01 p.m. - State elections officials update number of ballots cast in Midlands
As of 1:45, the South Carolina Elections Commission is reporting the following numbers out of the Midlands in regard to the number of people who have voted on Tuesday. These are unofficial, and based on the number of people that have checked in to vote, said John Michael Catalano, the public information officer at the state elections commission.
Calhoun – 2,072
Richland – 39,417
Lexington – 39,089
Orangeburg – 8,935
Sumter – 10,436
1:39 p.m. - First time voters make their voice heard
This year was different for 27-year-old Eric Bey.
He had never voted before but he said, “it’s time for something new, something different.”
At the polling place at Lower Richland High School, the Philadelphia native asked for help understanding how to use the voting machine, then cast his vote for Kamala Harris for president.
“I hope she will do what she says she will do,” Bey said.
1:09 p.m. - No security issues at Richland polls through early part of day
Shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said no security issues had been reported at any county precincts. Lott said his department had received no reports of any security issues at polling places around the county. If something does happen, Lott said, “We have units on standby.”
Lott, who is up for re-election this year, said when he voted Tuesday morning at his precinct in the White Rock Ballentine area, turnout was light.
12:25 p.m. - SC Gov. McMaster casts ballot
Gov. Henry McMaster voted Tuesday with First Lady Peggy McMaster. They voted at the Lourie Senior Center in the Ward 1 precinct.
McMaster is a longtime supporter of former President Donald Trump going back to when the then-lieutenant governor endorsed Trump in 2016 becoming the first statewide official in the country to back the real estate mogul.
“I think it looks good, but you never know what’s gonna happen, but we’re waiting (for) the good news. It might be a late night, hope not,” McMaster told reporters.
McMaster also said he had no concerns at this time about election integrity this year or the possibility of political violence after results this year come in.
“I think we’ve been through so much of that in the last election. Frankly, I think people are probably tired of it,” McMaster said.
11:22 a.m. - Turnout is robust in Lexington County
As of 11:22 a.m., 29,527 people had voted on election day, said Lexington County elections director Lenice Shoemaker. Including early voting, Shoemaker said the total number of people who’ve voted in Lexington County as 11:22 a.m. was up to 111,711. That’s 51% of the total number of eligible voters, Shoemaker said.
While there were some long lines, poll workers are working to accommodate people, Shoemaker said. Lexington County has historically had high turnout, with 72% of eligible voters casting their ballots in 2020, but Shoemaker said that she wouldn’t be surprised if this year set a new records.
11:19 a.m. - FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office in SC report no incidents early in the day
Tuesday’s election has been “smooth sailing so far,” said Kevin Wheeler, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Columbia Field Office. The federal law enforcement agency is coordinating a statewide command post out of their office in Lexington, South Carolina, to support local law enforcement by collecting information on incidents and responding to alleged violations of federal election law.
As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Veronica Hill, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for South Carolina, said that she was not aware of any incidents at the polls. The US Attorney’s Office has designated a district election officer, who will handle complaints of fraud, voting rights violations, threats towards election officials or staff. Hill said that the US Attorney’s Office had also dispatched attorneys around the state to ensure that polling places were complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act, which requires that polling places are accessible for voters with disabilities.
11:03 a.m. - No disruptive incidents at Lexington, Richland precincts
Despite concerns nationally about potential violence at the polls amid a divisive presidential election, things were going smoothly in Lexington County as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
“We haven’t had any reports of any concerns or issues at any precinct,’‘ Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Adam Myrick said, but he added, “We are obviously monitoring and able to respond.’‘
Meanwhile, authorities in Richland County and the city of Columbia said things were going smoothly. They had had no incidents reported at the polls as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.
10:46 a.m. - Modest turnout on Rosewood
At mid-morning Tuesday, only a handful of people were at machines casting ballots in the A.C. Moore precinct off Rosewood Drive in Columbia.
But the light election day turnout may have been related to early voting and absentee ballots.
As of 10:15 a.m., about 132 people had voted at the precinct. But 854 people — more than half of the precinct’s voters — had cast ballots either early or by absentee, according to poll data provided to The State. Poll workers reported no problems Tuesday morning.
9:45 a.m. - Midlands county has extra deputies on patrol as precaution
The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday morning that it would have extra deputies on patrol today, but that was just a precautionary measure.
“We do not expect any problems on Election Day in Kershaw County but your KCSO will have extra deputies on patrol out of an abundance of caution,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
The KCSO said residents would only see a deputy inside a polling place on three occasions:
1) The deputy is voting.
2) The poll manager calls for law enforcement assistance.
3) There is a public safety emergency inside the polling location.
8:25 a.m. - Voters enthused in Columbia
Latonya Chisolm arrived at the Martin Luther King Park center early Tuesday, enthused to vote in what many have called the most consequential presidential election in their lifetimes.
By 7:15 a.m., she had cast her ballot for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The precinct where she voted is adjacent to Five Points near the USC campus.
Chisolm, 45, said everyone should vote, and she was glad to do her part.
”I vote every time,’‘ she said. “It’s important to vote. I don’t know who’s going to win, but we hope she wins. But if you don’t vote, it doesn’t count.’‘
Chisolm, who lives in Columbia but is originally from Salters in eastern South Carolina, said she’s hopeful that, regardless of whether Harris or Republican Donald Trump wins, the country will not be as deeply divided after the election.
”I think everything will calm down, but we just have to be patient,’‘ she said.
Chisolm was among about 25 people in line at the King center shortly after the poll opened at 7 a.m. Poll workers reported no problems and the line was moving relatively quickly.
A poll manager, who declined to give his name, said voting appeared to be light early Tuesday.
Voting also was light early Tuesday at Columbia’s Lourie Senior Center, where five people were voting at about 7:30 a.m.
James Coplin, the poll manager for the Lourie Center precinct, said voting in Tuesday’s general election seemed similar to the primaries last summer. Neither drew big crowds early in the morning, he said. But voting in the presidential election was going smoothly, he said.
The Lourie precinct is off Pickens Street near the USC campus.
8:06 a.m. - A rainy start
As a slow rain fell over Columbia at 7 a.m. Tuesday, more than 40 people were in line waiting for the Shandon neighborhood’s Sims Park precinct to open for voting.
The first two in line, June Keefe, 90, and Billy Keefe, 91, had arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and were the first out after voting.
“We got here early, and we’ve voted now, so we’re happy,” said June Keefe.
The Keefes politely declined to say how they voted.
“It wouldn’t be a secret ballot if I told you,” said Billy Keefe.
They had praise for the poll workers.
“They do a wonderful job,” said June Keefe.
The third person to vote, Gigi Woods, 62, a former U.S. Army captain who works for the Veterans Administration health care system, said she is for “Harris all the way,” and voted accordingly.
“It’s a very important election, and around the world, it’s important that we pick a person who can get the job done — but do it in a very nice manner,” Woods said. Civility matters, she said.
Also in line was former S.C. governor Jim Hodges, 67, and his wife, Rachel, 65 and their son, Sam, 28. Hodges was South Carolina’s only Democratic governor (1999-2003) in the last 35 years or so. They all were voting for Harris.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
