GOP contest sets S.C. presidential primary ballot record

A record number of South Carolinians voted in Saturday’s Republican primary as total ballots cast exceeded 700,000.

“All signs pointed to that,” State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said.

In part, a new high came because there are more registered voters in the state. The current total of nearly 3 million is 230,000 more than in 2012. And voters are older and more racially diverse.

In addition, the record turnout was driven by a strident contest among six GOP challengers seeking to make the showdown in the Palmetto State a springboard for their campaigns.

Saturday’s turnout exceeds the former record of 603,770 set in the GOP presidential primary in 2012, officials said.

It came after another record was set for absentee ballots in South Carolina presidential primaries.

Shortly before polls closed, a tally showed 59,686 absentee ballots were cast in the GOP contest, Whitmire said. It is likely to grow a bit when the tally is completed.

That’s an increase of two-thirds over the record set in 2008, when 35,595 absentee ballots were cast in both the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries combined.

“The candidates and their campaigns pushed it hard,” Whitmire said. “And people who have experienced lines (at the polls) in the past don’t want to do that again.”

Voting was steady throughout the day and heavy at times in some areas, Whitmire said.

Some voters at scattered precincts had to wait because of lines that dispersed quickly, but no backups occurred because of faulty equipment, he said.

Turnout in Richland County was “substantially higher” than previous primaries, but there were no problems, County Election Director Samuel Selph said. Overall, 39,259 votes were cast in Richland County, state officials said.

Voting was “steady but not slammed” in adjoining Lexington County, county Election Director Dean Crepes said. Overall, 53,541 ballots were cast in Lexington County, state officials said.

This story was originally published February 20, 2016 at 9:36 PM with the headline "GOP contest sets S.C. presidential primary ballot record."