ChasElection08

Well done

The election is over, but it will live on as a historic day for many. Lowcountry voters turned out in high numbers, lines were long and waits lasted hours. But we were patient and amiable for the most part, understanding that sometimes exercising our rights isn't always easy or convenient.

So thanks to all who turned to us for information and who shared experiences and observations. All of you who contributed here made a little history, too. This is the first time the Internet has played so large a role as a source for election information. And the first time members of the community have been able to take part not in just taking in news, but of sharing it in real time.

It's really kind of amazing. Good job, Lowcountry.

--Janet

Obama wins

Barack Obama has won the presidency of the United States. Full story on Charleston.net.

Looking for results?

Here are some cool sites to check out while your on the edge of your seat awaiting the FInal Answer.

1. Charleston.net has results for all the local and state races, plus a cool map of the presidential election. You will want to pick up a copy of Wednesday's The Post and Courier (or maybe two or three) to have and to hold as a souvenir.

2. YouTube has hundreds of videos from across America sent in by people who captured their voting experience as part of the VideoYourVote project. There are 948 videos as of 9:30 Tuesday night, but only a few from South Carolina, so you can watch them all.

3.  BusinessWeek bloggers including Doug MacMillan, Arik Hesseldahl and Olga Kharif have a quirky round-up of what's happening online on Election Day, from Second Life parties to TwitVote results.

4. Just want to laugh it up? Here are some highly amusing sites offered by PC World in their list of top 20 online election sites (parental discretion advised):

• Indecision 2008: Turn to Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and your other favorite Comedy Central stars for humorous election coverage. Interactive chat rooms await, along with live blogs by comedians such as Patton Oswalt, scheduled to start posting at 7:30 Eastern on Tuesday night.
• The Onion: The always-amusing satire site promises live election coverage November 4 and 5, presumably from its "War for the White House Bunker." Be sure to see what these crazy correspondents have come up with.
• SNL Elections 2008: The crew of Saturday Night Live has plenty to keep you busy at its online headquarters. You'll find news stories, games, and--of course--all of your favorite moments from the show's political spoofs.
• Campaign Humor Roundup: Here you'll find an extensive compilation of everything related to campaign humor. Browse through the funniest cartoons, viral videos, candidate gaffes, and late-night moments, all on one page.

5.  And finally, if you are looking for how other Congressional races came out, Google has a mash-up that will overdose you on state-by-state voting for U.S. House and Senate seats. Enjoy.

--Janet

Surprise! Turnout to break record

Yeah, we know you probably guessed that already. But for an official take on it, Robert Behre talked to the officials at the Election Commission, who are saying we could see an 85% turnout after it's all said and done. Read the rest.

No matter who you voted for, the participation levels have got to make you feel good. South Carolinians made their voices heard, even if the presidential election was something of a foregone conclusion, lots of voters meant lots of ballots cast in local and state elections.

If the old saw "if you don't vote, you can't complain" is true, a lot of us have earned the right to be pretty vocal over the next few years.

--Janet

Long lines...at Chick-fil-A

   Voters who sometimes stood in line for hours were rewarded with a coupon from Chick-fil-A for a free sandwich. And numerous voters used their coupons Tuesday.

    At the Chick-fil-A location West Ashley just off the Glenn McConnell Parkway, operations manager Cliff Brown responded “A lot!” when asked if voters were using the coupons.

   “Maybe a hundred?” I prodded.

   “Oh, way more than that,” Brown said. “Probably 800 or more.”

   The long lines at the polling places apparently evaporated by the 7 p.m. deadline. I visited a number of West Ashley spots shortly after 7, and the only place I saw with a line was the W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center on Playground Road, where a few dozen voters were still waiting around 7:30 p.m. But 30 minutes later (after stopping by Chick-fil-A), they were closed down.

 

-- Tommy Braswell, Post and Courier sportswriter

 

Goose Creek craziness

UPDATE: Voters for Goose Creek District 2 were still in line at 9 p.m. at Goose Creek High School.

We've got some wild reports coming out of Goose Creek. Photographer Brad Nettles and reporter Jessica Johnson (who is there trying to vote: 3 hours and counting) say the line at Goose Creek High School one hour after the polls closed still has hundreds of people in it.

Yep, you read that right, hundreds, maybe upwards of 1,000. Jessica says kind souls are doling out crackers and water. Some people are throwing out radical numbers like 5 hours of waiting time.

We would love to hear from some of you Creekers. Post a comment here or send us an email at elections@postandcourier.com. if you swear a little, we understand. We'll edit it out for you.

--Janet

Mo' reports

Keep'em coming, folks. This is great stuff!

From Luke Reasoner, sports copy editor/designer: From James Island Precinct 15 at James Island Middle.

It wasn't too bad. Took about an hour for me to stand in line (this was 10 a.m.). However, it was a disappointing for some who stood with me, as several people - I didn’t catch anyone's name - who were voting in James Island Precinct 9 were actually at the wrong polling location. According to several others, in the past both precincts (9 and 15) voted here at James Island Middle. And it wasn’t until we got to the front of the line that those in 9 were told they had to vote at Fort Johnson Middle. Of course a few choice words where heard as many just wanted to get this process over with.

The only complaint I have is with the voters. A lot of people seemed to have a lack of patience during this historic election. But at the same time, I am glad that many people came out to vote this year.

All-in-all, I know the people running this have to be overwhelmed and they should all be commended for doing the best they can.

On a lighter note, the longest line I waited in today was the line for the free Chick-fil-A sandwich. What a mistake that was trying to go at noon. I guess I learned my lesson on that one.

--Janet

C of C woes?

We've gotten reports that some College of Charleston students had trouble voting with some controversy over student I.D. cards.

Here's the law:
You must have one of these three things to vote:
1. A South Carolina driver's license (even if you are registered here and have a license from another state you can't use that license at the polls.)
2. A South Carolina picture I.D. issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
2. A voter registration card from South Carolina.

A college I.D. is useless without a voter registration card and is unnecessary with one. You do not need a photo I.D. of any kind if you have a valid voter registration card UNLESS you are voting for the first time and did not submit proof of ID with your voter registration application. In that case,  an additional form of photo identification, such as a driver's license, will be required.

From what we are hearing, some places were not allowing that additional form of identification to be a C of C student card. Dean of Students Jeri Cabot cleared that up in an e-mail, after speaking with Election Commission officials.A student photo I.D. is proof enough.

Thanks to Tweeter GQBound for ferreting this out! Read Cabot's announcement posted by Brian J. Wilder.

--Janet & Robert

Location, location, location

   A late trek around several West Ashley voting spots revealed that it’s all about “location, location, location.” Depending on where you were registered, you might be able to walk straight into the polling place, show your registration card and immediately vote. Or, you might find yourself still standing in line.

   If you are fortunate enough to vote at the Charleston Tennis Center (St. Andrews 06) on Farmfield Drive, you don’t have to wait at all; if you’re voting at the W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center on Playground Road you still may have a couple of hours to wait. One disgruntled voter was walking out of the latter spot around 6 p.m. after having spent 3 ½ hours in line. But there were a large number of people who didn’t seem to be phased at the lengthy wait they still faced.

   With less than two hours left before polls closed, almost 800 of the 1,120 voters registered in St. Andrews 06 had cast votes.

   I stopped by my voting center, at Stono Park Elementary, around 5 p.m. and there was at least a 2-hour wait for those in the back of the line. When I voted at 9:30 a.m., the wait was 2 ½ hours. But when I drove by an hour later, the line was considerably shorter. On the first visit, I was talking with some people in line and met one young man who had spent two hours waiting in line at Oakland Elementary before discovering he was at the long place. Rather than asking to be moved to the front of the line at Stono, he was facing another 2-hour wait.

   St. Andrews Elementary School had a lengthy line much of the day, but around 5:30 the wait to vote was probably 15 minutes. Just before poll closing time, St. Andrews Middle School had no line.

-- Tommy Braswell, Post and Courier sportswriter

A rarity

Post and Courier reporter David Slade spent much of Tuesday talking to Lowcountry voters who spent four hours or more in line waiting to vote. Then it was his turn. He proceeded to his Mount Pleasant 25 polling place and was shocked.

"I wasn't here five minutes," he said. "There were only three people ahead of me and none of them were in my group, so there literally wasn't a line." "I feel guilty," he added. "There's something wrong with this system, though I benefited from it."

--Robert

Turnout and early voting

So North Carolina, anecdotally, is reporting that most voters today breezed in and out. In one precinct, says Greensboro blogger Ed Cone, a poll worker said more than half the registered voters had cast ballots  early.

Spartanburg and Greenville counties are reporting long waits as well, so Lowcountry  voters shouldn't feel special. Richland County voters are standing around at polls not being productive as well.

So exactly why is South Carolina in the minority of states that don't allow early voting without an excuse? This year's election experience might put some muscle behind an effort to change the law. Read Upstate reporter Robert Kittle's story on a possible bill to allow it.

Proud moment at Summerville High

While we were waiting inside the cafeteria to vote, we heard a poll worker yell out, "Hey everybody! First-time voter! Never voted in his life! This guy here in the yellow jacket!"

The guy, wearing an electric yellow slicker, turned to everyone in the cafeteria and raised his arms in the air before marching out the door. The nearly packed crowd in the cafeteria cheered and applauded.

Unhappy from A to Z

There have been numerous complaints about the inequitable alphabetical divisions of voter names. By that we mean that, for example, all voters whose names begin with A-K in one line and L-Z in another.

P&C reporter Robert Behre reports that at his precinct Charleston 9, voters signed in in alphabetized lines, but then all joined the same line for the voting machines. This seems to be the exception. At Fort Johnson Middle School, James Island Precinct 8B, voter Katherine W. says she was finished long before her husband, Richard G. At my own downtown Precinct 18 at Rivers Middle School , A-Ks were waiting a lot longer than the rest of the alphabet. We've heard this repeated in precincts throughout the Lowcountry. Apparently, this has been reported in cities such as Rock Hill and Sumter as well.

Summerville High School, Tupperway Precinct

Wow! Voted in about 30 minutes, not counting my drive there and back and hunting a parking spot. In at 4:45, out at 5:10. 

Tupperway is evidently one of the smaller precincts. Other voters in the larger precincts, Flowertown and Greenwave, told me the wait was a great deal longer for them. One young lady had been there for four hours.

Everyone in the Tupperway line was amiable and chatty. Some dour faces in the other lines though ...

Jane

Summerville High School

Ted and Susan Simonetta pulled up to the Green Wave cafeteria twice, saw the long lines and left. On their third pass they figured they might as well get out and vote.

Voting took longer than usual, but Ted Simonetta didn’t mind the wait.

“People actually care for a change,” he said.

It was the first time either Simonetta had to wait more than 15 minutes to vote.

One of the new faces was 56-year-old Virginia Grant, of Summerville, who voted for the first time in her life Tuesday.

“Something just told me to vote,” she said.

----- Jessica Johnson

Lines Still a Drag

Five hours  - that's how long a voter stood in line, her hair flat and straggled from rain showers, before pushing the button at 3 p,.m. Wescott Elementary School in North Charleston. The wait was so bad the rest room ran out of necessary paper, she said.

Saul Dam, the rural southern Dorchester County precinct considered the least populated, shared the booths at Beech Hill Elementary School with the suburban Beech Hill precinct. At mid-afternoon, cars still jammed the parking lot and were lined up along Highway 61.

Voters waiting in the morning for the Ladson Elementary School booths brought lawn chairs and lounged.

Turnout

Almost everywhere in North Charleston today, or most anywhere in the country, it’s been hard to escape a certain refrain: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Poll workers and other election-watchers were pleasantly surprised by a high turnout. Charleston City Councilman Sam Hart, arriving at Morningside Middle School about 1 p.m., relayed some of the excitement he’s heard from constituents.

“This is different. I think Obama has energized the young people and the voting process,” Hart said. “This election has generated a lot of enthusiasm for young people to come out and vote and for African-Americans to come out and vote.”

People leaving a polling place at Morningside during the early afternoon still reported 2-hour waits.

In nearby Park Circle, however, the crowd had thinned to just eight people by 2p.m.

That appeared to be a temporary lull, though.

Margaret Bell, a poll clerk, reported a brisk, yet orderly morning. Already, nearly 400 of the precinct’s 700 or so registered voters had cast ballots.

“It’s amazing, I’ve never seen such a turnout,” she said.

She expected a busy afternoon and evening and planned stay as long as necessary to accommodate everybody.

“I want a lot of people to vote,” she said. “Anybody waiting in line at 7 p.m. has to vote.” --Noah Haglund

E-mail Roundup 2

More from election@postandcourier.com:

From Julie Downs: Just got back from voting at Ft. Johnson Middle on James Island. The wait was about 1.5 hours, 11:15-12:45. If you were lucky enough to be in precinct 8A you probably got out in a half-hour. The poll workers were constantly calling for 8A, to the irritation of us non-8A people. The table sat almost completely empty with a waiting pollworker while I was in line inside. The lines for 8B and 9 ran around the building. The joke in line was we were all going to move to 8A before the next election. Seems like they could have consolidated somehow as we all went to the same machines. Still not a bad wait.

From Myron Pstrak: Precinct 20 at Joseph Floyd Manor. Got in line at 0820 and walked out at 1250.....4.5 hours in line....3 machines total for two precincts!!!!

Floyd Manor is generating a lot of frustration based on our Twitter comments and e-mails. Running close to Mt. Pleasant Hibben Methodist Church Mount Pleasant Precinct 6 and 7 as worst places to vote so far.

--Janet

Neighborhood block party

   I purposely waited until about 9:30 vote, hoping the experts' advice about mid-morning offering a shorter wait would hold true. I asked people who were leaving Stono Park Elementary  (St. Andrews 7) as I arrived how long it had taken them. Two and a half hours, was their response.  And that's what it took me. I walked out  just after noon.  For the most part, it was a very congenial wait.  I visited with friends and neighbors in line, and that was much better than reading a book. About two hours into the wait, there was one gentleman who got upset because he felt a drop or two of rain and wanted the poll workers to move the line inside (and there wasn't room enough fit everyone inside). Other than that, everything appeared to move smoothly. So all in all, not a bad experience.
   I've talked with several friends who voted elsewhere and heard of waits from 10 minutes to three hours at the same site. I'll check back later at Stono Park and some other West Ashley spots and see how things are going.

-- Tommy Braswell, Post and Courier sports writer

Passing Time

Well, the reading list was pretty esoteric at Ashborough West in the Oakbrook community outside Summerville. Normally a staid, relatively in-and-out voting precinct, Old Fort Baptist Church had a line of waiting voters stretched down the hallway corridor halfway around its sanctuary and circling back again to the door. The line lasted throughout the morning and began to ebb, weirdly enough, at lunch time.
 People know each other in the adjacent neighborhoods that make up the precinct and the word got out pretty quickly the wait was more than an hour. So they showed up with an assortment of paperbacks and hardcovers - a Patricia Cornwell suspense novel, The Diplomats, Puppy Chow is Better than Prozac and, ironically enough, 23 Minutes in Hell.
 Cell phones and ipods came out. People joked with their friends about how only a chance to vote for the Sunday alcohol sales referendum could get them in a line like this.
 Nobody seemed to mind the dealy. The  number of younger people in line to vote was striking compared to other elections. Michael Coutu stood still and said nothing, his eyes taking everything in and his fingers nervously snapping his driver's license and a voter registration card still attached to the paper it came on. He had never been to a poll before. He turned 18 in March.  After he voted he turned and quietly walked out.
  "My first time and the wait is an hour and a half," he said smiling wryly. "But it was definitely worth it. I know my voice is heard. I know what I did is for my country."

                                                                                                              -- Bo 

E-mail Roundup 2

More reports from the field:

From sports copy editor Cindy Cloutier: Just sharing my experience voting at Goose Creek High School. I arrived at 7:55 a.m. and the first order of business was finding a place to park - surely that was an indicator of the turnout. Yet I was excited to see the turnout and was prepared for 2 hours of democracy in action.

After finding the end of the line outside the building, I was encouraged to realize it was moving briskly and we moved in side by 8:30. Where tired voters with knowing looks told us to enjoy the wait. We snaked through the corridors of the high school before finding the end of the line. Hard to estimate the number of people in line, but this one wasn't moving.

Felt bad for some elderly people. Saw one extremely pregnant lady whose husband parked her in a lawnchair for her to wait while he stood. She said she was due this week and hoped to vote before giving birth. We all chuckled ... nervously. Overall people were patient and friendly. I guess we all realized this was possible and that it represented something exciting about the voter turnout. One young woman said she'd taken the day off and was going to work a Saturday instead because she was prepared to wait all day to vote.

One nervous woman finally went looking for a poll worker to explain she had an afternoon plane to catch - could she help her? They did, as they did handicapped voters without offending any of us in line. I never heard one complaint. Finally voted at 11:35 a.m. - 3 hours, 40 minutes of democracy in action. How exciting. But am now a fan of looking into early voting.

From Tim: The lines at Greater Goodwill AME were very long, but well-managed. As of 10
a.m., the wait was around 90 minutes.

--Janet

A more than 4-hour wait in West Ashley

The wait to vote in St. Andrews precincts 3 and 9 is perhaps the worst in the Charleston area today, with voters who finished at noon saying they had been waiting in line since 7:30 a.m. The polling place is the W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center on West Oak Forest Drive.

The wait there is so long that each time a person emerges from the cramped building with an "I voted" sticker, the crowd at the front of the line applauds. Despite the wait, the people in line appear patient and determined, and quite pleased that it hasn't started raining.

"It's the best pain you will ever feel, because this is a historic moment," said Heather Jackson, who had been standing for four hours and was near the front of the line.

--David Slade

E-mail Roundup 1

Okay, I voted at Rivers Middle School this morning. I got there around 8 a.m. voted at 11:15. Here's a look at what voters have sent to The Post and Courier/Charleston.net email.

From Wayne Glenn: Voting at Midland Park Elementary the line is significantly shorter than 27. If you only knew your voting location and not precinct you would have to wait longer. 2 hours 20 mins to vote in Precinct 29 at midland park. Polling place disorganized.

Katharine Eastvold in North Charleston: I'm in Deer Park 1B precinct, and I voted earlier this morning. I arrived at Ladson Elementary around 6:40, and at around 7:30, poll workers called on Deer Park voters to form a separate line, because Ladson Elementary serves as the polling place for both Deer Park and Ladson precincts. We formed a separate - and MUCH shorter - line, and I still didn't get out of there until 8:40. I estimate that if I had been a Ladson voter instead of a Deer Park voter, I would have been around 150 places back in line, and it would have taken me at least another hour or hour-and-a-half to vote. These two precincts ought to have separate polling locations! The poll workers were great, though - very professional and very friendly.

From Paul Crawford: Wait at Cario Elementary started at 2.5 hours, when to about an hour, now back to more than two hours. (11:15 a.m.)

From Ben Morgan: Just got a call from one of my Zone Managers who says there are a lot of folks at Brentwood being turned away, nobody telling them where they should go, and tempers are getting short.

From Jeff King: At Fort Dorchester High School wait to vote is approx. 4-5 hours!

Numb, frustrated

At Brentwood Middle School, where people voted in North Charleston’s 14^th and 9^th precincts, the lines were long. So long, that one woman read the better part of a novel. A married couple left after two hours and planned to return later.

Hundreds waited in the school’s gymnasium at noon. Amy Jeffers had arrived a few minutes after 7 a.m., and was just leaving.

“I’ve never seen it like this,” said Jeffers, who is 38 and has voted since turning 18. “Very few people were actually getting angry-angry or even excited. They were just numb.”

The line for Precinct 4 seemed to be moving faster than the one for Precinct 19. The long wait allowed Jeffers to read most of Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire.”

A few minutes later, Patrick A. Jenkins and his wife gave up. They originally went into the line for Precinct 4. When they got to a desk at the front of the gym two hours later, they realized they were in the wrong line – they should have been in the one for Precinct 19.

They left, because Jenkins’ wife just had back surgery and wasn’t able to stand much longer.

“They need a sign outside the building,” he said, as he started to drive away in a minivan. “The main thing is they just don’t have a sign outside the building.”

They planned to return in a couple of hours. --Noah Haglund

 

Proud

Mark Bolger felt different today as he went to vote at Chicora Elementary School, in a way he never has before on Election Day.

He felt proud. Proud of the excitement rippling through Chicora-Cherokee on the south end of North Charleston. Proud to see the mood among his fellow residents in this largely African-American neighborhood battered by poverty and crime.

“This has been awesome to see our people get together as one,” he said. “I’m proud to be American.” –Noah Haglund

This from Post and Courier copy editor Walter Julian at 12:12 p.m.

Three precincts -- St. Andrews 24, 25 and 30 -- are voting at West Ashley Middle School. I got in line at 10:13, and from that time until I walked out the door, 1 hour and 27 minutes elapsed. The line was orderly. There was a lot of socializing. And many people had books with them and were reading. Things didn't appear to be very well organized inside the gym. There were only 13 voting machines, and one of them was not in use; there weren't nearly enough for the number of people trying to vote. The machines were not dedicated to particular precincts, which added confusion. It was not first-come, first-served. There were four voting lines, and I stood at the head of mine for a long time before a poll worker directed me to a machine. Meanwhile, a bunch of folks from other lines were directed to machines. There didn't seem to be a system, and at times it was like the poll workers were competing to see which could commandeer a machine first. It was not a bad experience, though. As long as I was in the line, it did not get shorter. It didn't get longer, either.

--Janet

Long lines for Ladson

Adding a second precinct and a swell of voters choked up a line of voters outside Ladson Elementary School.

A frustrated Tashara Parker, of Ladson, lined up outside the school at 6:30 a.m. and didn’t come out a voter until 10 a.m. Two lines were set up, one for the Ladson precinct, and another for the Deer Park precinct. The Deer Park line moved much more quickly and Parker and other voters thought that was unfair. Lou Baker, precinct manager, said people from the Ladson precinct needed to act as if the Deer Park precinct wasn’t there.

Inside, 10 voting machines were squeezed into the front lobby and voters could see one another while voting, but not their choices, Baker said.

The only other option would have been to move the machines to a cafeteria making lines more confusing, he said.

“This is the largest turnout we’ve had ever,” Baker said.

The wait was long enough that poll workers were bringing people from the line indoors to use the restrooms.

Baker took the heat from a few voters, but he he expected worse.

“I expected to be raked over the coals,” he said.

----Jessica

Oops wrong button

Angela Sellers, of Goose Creek, rolled out of bed to vote in her pajamas at Stratford High School. She came prepared with an index card of her choices.

Jason Lachance, of Goose Creek, who stood in line behind her for two hours made fun of her, but maybe he could have benefited from a card himself.

Lachance was confused by the amendment to the state constitution that would increase the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16. He thought the question was asking to change the age of consent to 14.

“I thought that was weird,” he said. “Damn it.”

----- Jessica

Goose Creek voting

The end of the line was deceiving at

Goose Creek

High School. It was about 20 yards from the front door but the line proceeded to wind through the parking lot like a snake. Holly Trader, of Hanahan, took a place in line at 

6 a.m. already at least 150 people behind. Doors opened at

6:45 a.m. and by 7:30 a.m. she had voted.

Trader and others expected the wait. Many brought chairs, books and umbrellas.

A young mother, who declined giving her name, pulled up at 

7 a.m. locked her baby in the car. After she got out to gather her son, the wind blew the door shut leaving her baby and keys inside.  Law enforcement officers worked for an hour trying to ease the door open, but rescue came when the mother’s stepfather arrived with another set of keys. Baby in hand she was ready to vote.

Long lines were similar all over Goose Creek. At Howe Hall Elementary the parking lot was full, so people pulled into the United Siding Specialist driveway looking for a spot. Owner Rich Patterson drove a forklift around his lot trying to make sure his entrance remained open. He said he didn’t mind if people used his lot, but he’s seen twice the number of cars as usual and wanted to make sure trucks could get in and out.Frank Miley, lined up outside Howe Hall Elementary school at 6:25 a.m., and waited two hours to cast his ballot. He snapped his fingers saying, “It was like that to vote.” It was the standing in line that took longer. During that time he managed to read 52 pages of a Ken Follet novel.

“I’m pleased that so many people are voting. This is the first time I’ve ever had to wait to vote.”

At Stratford High School, poll manager Ron Snyder said he’d seen more voters than in previous elections by 9:20 a.m.

“The number of voters has surpassed what we normally get by two-fold,” Snyder said.

There people were waiting in line about two and a half hours.

---- Jessica Johnson

Are you in the right line?

At St. Andrews Elementary School in West Ashley, the line's about 90 minutes long for precincts 2 and 4, but perhaps a third that long for precincts 1 and 5, which has a separate line. Voters who find a long line at their polling place - and there are long lines everywhere - should make sure they are in the correct line for their precinct.

At Seacoast Church in Mt. Pleasant, one voter who was there around 10:30 said the line for Mt. Pleasant precinct 17 was two hours long, but their precinct was Mt. Pleasant 25, and they got in and out in about 10 minutes.

2 hours with the work crowd

I'm on vacation so why I chose to go vote early with those who had to get to work is a mystery. Lines were long and some were slow (depending on which precinct you were voting in) at Stiles Point Elementary on James Island in the early a.m. It took 2 hours to vote ... 7:15-9:15 a.m. ... but with a bonus of free Starbucks coffee in the middle of the hallway, plus two open doors to allow a cool breeze in. The wait gave everybody time to read the K-6 classes' projects on their favorite things, which were posted on the bulletin boards. Spaghetti, Barbie dolls and water parks seemed to be big among that crowd.

Cell phones and a few laptops kept some people busy in line. The P&C's inside A story on motion and movement diminishing after age 40 was a line talker. Various football conversations were going on as well. The only other news of interest in the line was that, reportedly, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Chick-fil-A are all giving away free stuff (coffee, sandwiches, doughnuts) with your "I voted" sticker.

 "You know how they say 'I'm going to Disney World?'", a woman in line said. "I'm gonna get my sticker and walk out saying 'I'm going to Krispy Kreme!'" A poll worker monitoring the line asked a woman, "Are you the last person in the Precinct 13 line?" "Hey," another voter joked, "that's a test!" By the time I left, the line outside had almost disappeared. There's a lull at this polling place before the lunch crowd kicks in.

Harriet McLeod

James Island Charter High School

Voters are waiting about two hours at James Island Charter High School (precincts James Island 5A/5B/6/7/10). The line is moving steadily and no rain so far.

Some people brought chairs. More than a few have babies with them in strollers. The crowd has been good-natured about the wait, though some say they've never seen anything like it.

First timers

 

Poll worker Abraham Patterson had his work cut out for him as he stood outside North Charleston Precinct 10 at Dunston Elementary School. He was trying to explain the local races, School Board election and statewide referendums. But most voters seemed to be focused on the top ticket – the president.

“About half of them have never voted,” Patterson said. “The school board is probably going to go right by them.”

They weren’t just young people, either.

“People my age and up are like, ‘It’s my first time,’” said Patterson, who is 44.

He expected turnout in the precinct in the Remount Road area with 1,010 registered voters to be high.

“At least we’re getting them out this time,” he said. “Maybe next time they’ll be with the issues.” –Noah Haglund

Cast away

The morning rush has subsided at Hanahan Middle School. Many voters who lined up before the polls opened at 7 a.m. would spend 90 minutes or more to cast ballots. Books, umbrellas and even some folding chairs in hand, a few were prepared to tough it out even longer. The file of more than 100 people at the outset had shrunk to about a third of that size by 8:30 a.m. Indeed, some might even make it to work on time. --Noah Haglund

Line in Mt. P

At Mt. Pleasant 25 (Seacoast) the line usually begins inside the building on election day. Today it stretched out the door, down the side of the church complex, and around the back through the parking lot.

Elsewhere in Mt. Pleasant, a man who voted at the armory on Mathis Ferry Road said he lined up at 6 a.m., an hour before the doors opened, and was done voting by 7:20.

With long lines, often outdoors, voters had better take an umbrella today.

-- David Slade

Ready, set, go

As expected, lines are already long at polling places. We've got reports from West Ashley High School and Middle School, though, that lines are moving quickly and the mood is upbeat. Greater Goodwill AME Church in Mount Pleasant is rocking already with as many as 300 in line, says a voter on the scene.

Check out this West Ashley High pic from Tweeter JasmineDarkly.

I"m off to Rivers Middle to vote.

--Janet

Polls about to open

Those who vote will be making history today, no matter what the outcome.

High turnout and long lines are expected. I'll be checking in on polling places in Charleston County to see how things are going.

For those heading out early to vote, here's a quick caffeine-related tip from me: Starbucks will give you a free 12-oz coffee if you go to one of their stores after voting, wearing your "I voted" sticker.

--David Slade

The wait

It's a quarter to 7 a.m. and more than a 100 people are waiting to vote at Hanahan Middle School. Will they be watching the returns after 7 p.m.? --Noah Haglund

Long lines get testy

Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram, taking the role of a poll watcher Thursday, challenged the vote of a 74-year-old woman, and a brou-ha-ha ensued. Here's a bit from the whole story at GoUpstate.com, the Web site of The Spartanburg Herald-Journal.

There are multiple accounts of what happened Thursday.

What's clear is that Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram, taking the role of a poll watcher, challenged the vote of 74-year-old Fannie Rogers because he didn't believe her signature matched what was on her credentials. This upset the actual poll worker — the person who checks in a voter — and soon Ruby Rice, president of the Spartanburg NAACP branch, was involved.

'I don't have real good handwriting anyway, and this man (Beltram) said it didn't match the writing on my card,' Rogers said. 'It really upset me. Ruby came over and asked him if he was harassing me. He said no. I said yes.'

The poll worker left in tears, Beltram left, saying attorneys for Republican candidates would be at the Election Office today, and Rice left to call the state Election Commission and complain.

....

By late Thursday, word of the dispute had reached Washington, D.C.

'We're aware of and monitoring the situation in Spartanburg,' said Scot Montrey, spokesman for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

Both Republican and Democratic insiders said Thursday they didn't want to blow the situation out of proportion, as it might discourage voters from casting absentee ballots. The wait time was close to four hours Thursday.

With the reports of long lines at polling places already experienced and predictions of more to come, you might want to tuck some patience in alongside your voter I.D.

--Janet

This just in

An alert reader sends us this from his/her email:

From: Lin Bennett

Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 9:04 AM

Subject: NEED YOUR HELP ON TUESDAY NOV 4

 

You all may have read in the paper that the Democrats are going to hand out water and box lunches and provide chairs on election day. While this may seem like vote influencing (it is) there's a gray area. First, they must hand them out to everyone. Period. ANYONE who wants one should be provided one. The bottled water, box lunches and chairs cannot have any campaign literature on them. If they do, they must be 200 feet from the polling location. AND voters cannot bring the bottles or box lunches into the polling place.

 

So here's the plan.....please keep you eye out for this. We will know pretty early whether or not there's any campaign literature on them. Second, I'm asking everyone to get a box lunch and a bottled water. If you don't want it, take to a homeless shelter. Go in groups and collect a bunch of them. Then donate them. We would like to get as many of these off the street as possible. Go to precincts other than the one you vote at and collect them. AND if they refuse to give you one, please let us know quickly. You can call me on my cell 296-3105 or Linda Butler Johnson 696-7898 or Mark Hartley 224-5142.

 

Lin Bennett
Chairman
Charleston County Republican Party

We called the number and verified that it was Lin Bennett. The place they "may have read" it in the paper is Post and Courier reporter Robert Behre's story in which Lowcountry Democrats revealed their get-out-the-vote strategy. Read it on Charleston.net.

--Janet

Exercising your rights pays off!

The Digitel has a list of places that are rewarding you for voting. Check it out. Sounds like we will all need a treat after we stand in line to vote...

--Janet

Great goodness!

Scarlett reports via Twitter that she waited hours to vote in North Charleston on Saturday. Here's what she says on her blog:

Estimates were there 2000+ voting here in North Charleston, SC on Saturday. The poll workers said it was like this every day so far. The polls were scheduled to be open in Charleston at 9am, but could not as the streets were so littered with people and cars, that the poll workers could not get in. The police were dispatched to direct traffic flow.

During the 4.5 hours it took us to vote, we stood in line and felt blessed to be in this experience, in this now, in this here, in this moment of time, when I could say that I was there. I was moved.

She's got pictures too.Wow.

--Janet

Voter Guide '08

You've got an extra hour today, thanks to Daylight Savings Time, why not spend it getting up to speed on everything you need to know about Election Day '08? You can also get yourself set up to participate in the conversations about this historic election.

The Post and Courier Voter Guide is in the Sunday paper and online, with details of important races, interviews with candidates, precinct lists and other essential information. Charleston.net also has a wealth of stories and resources, in case you've missed anything over the last few weeks. There's a forum, too, where Lowcountry residents have been trading points on the issues, and you can join in.

Don't forget we will be here until the dust settles, and there are plenty of ways for you to participate. Leave a comment on this blog, head over to the forum, e-mail us at elections@postandcourier.com, or call us at 937-5581.

If you have a Twitter account (and why not, it's easy and free!) you can follow us at ElectionExp. You can also set up your account to text us via your cell phone. No matter how you Tweet, type the tag  #sce08 in your message to be included. If you just want to watch, in real time, what your neighbors are saying, you can do so here.

For a video tutorial on how to use Twitter, check this out. Be warned, though, it can be addictive!

We also want to here about any improvements we can make to this site, what links you need but don't see, or anything that's not working like it should.

Don't leave us hanging like chad, let us know!

---Janet

Twits & voting

If you have a Twitter account, not only can you take part in the Election Experience (Twitter ID: ElectionExp) AND even text us from your cell phone (include the tag #sce08), you can vote in a mock presidential election at Twitvote.

Sorry, no stickers for voting in the poll, which maybe a deterrent.  I only vote to get the Palmetto Project badge of honor.

--- Janet

Exercising their rights

From Greensboro, N.C., blogger Ed Cone:

More than two million people had voted in North Carolina by Thursday night, with yesterday and today expected to be the busiest days of the early-voting period. Saturday hours have been extended to 5PM in many counties, including Guilford.

Turnout is expected to reach 70% by the end of Election Day, breaking the NC record set in 1984.

It will be interesting to see if South Carolina, where the presidential race is not as hotly contested, will see similar numbers.

We saw a McCain supporter waving to Mount Pleasant drivers on Highway 17 in the morning Friday and before trick-or-treating in the evening, with plenty of signs to demonstrate his fervor. Caught a few Obama/Biden signs, too, in the wilds of Mount P. suburbia along with plenty of tiny, costumed candy-seekers.

--Janet

From Greensboro, N.C., blogger Ed Cone:

More than two million people had voted in North Carolina by Thursday night, with yesterday and today expected to be the busiest days of the early-voting period. Saturday hours have been extended to 5PM in many counties, including Guilford.

Turnout is expected to reach 70% by the end of Election Day, breaking the NC record set in 1984.

It will be interesting to see if South Carolina, where the presidential race is not as hotly contested, will see similar numbers.

We saw a McCain supporter waving to Mount Pleasant drivers on Highway 17 in the morning Friday and before trick-or-treating in the evening, with plenty of signs to demonstrate his fervor. Caught a few Obama/Biden signs, too, in the wilds of Mount P. suburbia along with plenty of tiny, costumed candy-seekers.

--Janet

Rookie news reporter

I will be voting at Stono Park Elementary School.

The longest wait?

With all the excitement about this election and the record absentee voting so far, I am expecting Hurricane Floyd evacuation-like tales from the voting booths.

The worst I've heard so far is a report (unconfirmed) that a person needed 4 hours and 15 minutes Wednesday to vote absentee in St. George. That's about twice as long as what election officials say is the average wait there, so I'm a bit skeptical, but maybe I shouldn't be.

I would be very interested in hearing stories of other waits, partly because the more frustration voters encounter this time around, the less likely they may be to participate next time.

And we're off!

Welcome to the Election Experience blog for the South Carolina Lowcountry. We are hoping to provide all manner of community coverage for what promises to be an historic election day.

There are numerous ways for you to contribute at what ever level you like. We are working on an easy way for you to send us photos and videos. You can comment on this blog, or send us e-mail at elections@postandcouier.com.

You can follow us on Twitter at ElectionExp (or just click the link at left.) If you want your own observations to feed onto this blog, just tag your Tweets with #sce08 (meaning just type those 6 characters into the body of your message.)

Are you interested in being a citizen-journalist for the day (or just a couple of hours)? Give us a shout at elections@postandcourier.com and we'll work out the logistics. If you blog about election-day happenings, send us a link via e-mail to your post and we'll try to give it a mention.

We want to hear about your voting experience, the lines at the polls, signs you saw, what you overheard, what's going on at campaign headquarters -- whatever you want to share about Election Day '08. And no, you don't have to be from 'round here. If you see something newsworthy, we want to hear all about it. 

Just remember to keep it clean enough for a general audience. We'd like to keep it friendly, too.

We are very excited to involve this community in our election coverage, so please, stop by, send us a note and keep us in the know.

--Janet