Thousands turn out for early voting ahead of SC primary runoff election day – Greenville Online

Primary runoff elections in South Carolina have come to a close and polling sites across the state closed at 7 p.m.
Today, June 23, some South Carolinians voted once again to determine winners in multiple runoff races across the Upstate and the rest of the Palmetto State. And all eyes are on who will secure the Republican gubernatorial spot for the November midterm election, current Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette or Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Along with the governor’s runoff race, multiple county, state, and federal races have gone to runoffs.
Polls are now closed, but there is still some time before full results start rolling in. Keep up to date on the latest runoff races results at Greenville News.
Polls are now closed in South Carolina. You can keep up with the latest results and what is happening with election results parties here.
At 2:47 p.m., Allen Greger, a poll worker of several years, said the runoff election hadn’t been a busy one at Woodruff Road Christian Church in Greenville. 
“If we hit 15% of the voters for the runoff, that’s actually pretty good,” he said.
During the primary election, lines to vote at the church had been backed up. That isn’t the case for the runoff election, with voters arriving one or two at a time.
As for issues, Greger had none to report.
“I can’t say that we had any serious issues during the primary, either. It went smoothly in this particular precinct.” Greger said that, although he did mention running into a few problems with curbside voting during the primaries.
Runoff voters were knowledgeable about the voting process and did not encounter typical problems with identification or changes of address.
“Everybody that’s coming in so far seems to know what they want to do. And it’s surprising, as long as these machines have been around, that we still get people coming in who don’t know how to put the ballot in, but we just keep an eye. We watch them stick the ballot in the machine, make sure it goes in ok.” Greger said.
With voter turnout on the low side at the church, Greger wants the public to know that runoff elections are just as crucial as primary elections.
“It is, in a sense, an extended primary,” he said. “You’re still making decisions. You still make choices, who you want in your political party to represent you. And the runoff, it’s the same thing.”
He went on to say that voters should treat runoffs as they would a primary.
“So if they think their party is not gonna win, and there’s somebody that they preferentially like in the other party, they can still come in and vote for them if they haven’t already voted. There’s choices.” Greger said.
But those who don’t vote shouldn’t complain when the candidate they don’t prefer ends up in office. The freedom to exercise your vote for is there, and if you don’t vote, you forfeit that option, Greger explained.
“You give away your choice. It’s a matter of choice. It’s a matter of how you want to live your life, how you want your state to be ruined. You gotta come in and do that, and make it,” Greger said.
Nina Tran
SC State Election Commission: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and if you’re in line by 7 p.m., you can still vote. Before heading out, make sure you know your polling place. #scVOTES
Two hours until the polls close in South Carolina! Go vote and bring a friend!
There’s still TWO HOURS until polls close at 7 PM for today’s primary runoff election! You’ve still got time to make your voice heard and cast your vote. I would be truly honored to serve as your next governor. Find your polling location at scvotes.gov.
In the late morning on June 23, there were only a few voters trickling in and out with “I Voted” stickers at the League Academy, a Greenville voting location.
Voter Linda Redding arrived to vote around 11:30 a.m. and said she was surprised to be one of the only people there.
“It’s voting day,” Redding said. “I thought there would be more people out here to vote. Maybe they’ll come after they get off work.”
Redding said she showed up to vote in the primary and the runoff because it’s her civic duty and a way to make sure the city is run the way she wants it to be.
Poll worker Tenekia Duncan said that things were slow but steady the morning of June 23, noting that the voter turnout seemed average for a runoff election.
Voter John Neil said he voted in the runoff because it’s what you’re supposed to do, and he wants to see Columbia get more conservative.
“Everybody’s supposed to vote,” Neil said. 
Ruth Cronin
Once South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful and current U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace posted on social media ahead of polls opening, encouraging people to get out and vote while also throwing her support behind Wilson once again, stating, “Let’s finish this.”
-Joyce Orlando
Roughly 72,500 South Carolinians cast their ballots during the two-day early voting period before the runoff elections. About 3,600 Anderson County, 8,300 Greenville County and 5,000 Spartanburg County voters cast their ballots on June 17 and June 18, according to election officials.
-Bella Carpertier
Anderson poll clerk John Elsea took to the streets as polls opened in South Carolina, and in an American-history style of calling all people to vote, he shouted to the townspeople, “The Polls Are Open.”
-Ken Ruinard
Voters can vote in the runoff if there is one, based on their party, and if there is a runoff to vote on for their area.
South Carolina voters cannot change parties between the primary and the runoff election. If you didn’t vote in the original June 9 primary, you can vote in the runoff.
Polls are open in the Palmetto State from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you are legally allowed to vote.
There are multiple state, federal and county races that voters will be voting on today, June 23. Here are some of the main ones:
You can find out more about specific races in the Upstate here and at greenvillenews.com.
To vote in South Carolina, you must bring your photo ID to your voting center in your county.
Voters can find their polling location with the South Carolina Election Commission’s online tools, which give people access to their precinct information.
With Check My Polling Place, you can confirm where you’ll vote during the runoff and on Election Day by entering your name, county, and date of birth.
In an odd move, President Donald Trump has backed both Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial runoff race.
Trump announced in a post on Truth Social, calling the runoff between Evette and Wilson “a wealth of riches” and saying he could not “hurt one of them by only endorsing the other.”
In the post, Trump praised both candidates’ records and loyalty, writing that Evette and Wilson “have been with me from the beginning” and are “MAGA and America First all the way.” He said he hoped the race would come down to the two and encouraged voters to support either candidate in the June 23 runoff.

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