‘It’s my civic duty.’ Here’s what drove Midlands voters to the polls on Tuesday
With a name like hers, America Tlaczani said it just made sense for her to get out and vote.
“It was kind of exciting,’ said the 20-year-old, after casting a vote in her first presidential election at Spring Valley High School in Northeast Richland County Tuesday.
Tlaczani and thousands of other voters across the Midlands cast their ballots on Election Day, citing reasons as diverse as the voters themselves.
Mary and Albert Lowman, who arrived at Hopkins Elementary School in Lower Richland around 1 p.m., said the coronavirus pandemic was their driving motivation.
After being laid off during the COVID-19 outbreak, Mary Lowman said she was hopeful that Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison could help provide solutions where U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham had failed. She called the incumbent’s stance on unemployment benefits for those affected during the pandemic offensive.
“That’s the only thing I want to hear at the end of the night: ‘Graham is gone,’” she said.
Virginia Peterkin declined to say who she voted for, but noted that the virus’s impact on both public health and the economy was at the top of mind for her. The 65-year-old social worker and resident of north Columbia’s Greenview Park community said she has been working to get young voters in her area more involved this year.
”I was glad to see that the lines were long and we were getting people out to vote,” she said.
Caroline Wallace, 26, echoed the sentiment.
“I just think it’s a really important election this time around and it seems like everyone’s really fired up this time around. And especially as a young person, coming out to vote seemed very important to have my voice heard,” she said, after casting her ballot at Logan Elementary School in north Columbia.
Though she declined to say who she voted for, she said protecting women’s rights inspired her to get out and vote.
Several voters simply felt that they had a patriotic obligation to cast their ballot.
“It’s my civic duty, it’s a privilege to come vote,” said Ray Ford, 50. He arrived at Red Bank Elementary School in Lexington County at 5:20 a.m. and was the first person to cast a ballot there.
Ford, who voted for President Donald Trump said he believes the president has done a good job of keeping his promises from the 2016 election. “He’s done most of what he set out to do and what he said he was going to do the first time. I’m excited to vote for him.”
Lilliann Hemingway, a 20-year-old Columbia resident who voted for Biden, said her grandmother always encouraged her to vote as soon as she was old enough. Many people, including those her age, don’t always realize why voting is so important, said Hemingway.
“My ancestors, the people who were before me, fought so hard for people who look like me to get the right to vote,” she said.
Others said they were more attracted to a particular candidate or party versus any single issue. Among them were neighbors Beverly Green and Anetta Johnson, both of whom said their chief concern was getting Trump out of office.
Green, a cancer survivor, said she regrets not voting the last election. This time around, “I wouldn’t miss it, if I had to crawl,” she said.
Andrew Caplan, Sammy Fretwell and Laurryn Thomas contributed reporting.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 4:20 PM.
