Elections officials say Mount Pleasant voter turnout down
Mount Pleasant polling places sustained fairly consistent numbers throughout Election Day, though it seems that numbers may be down from the previous presidential election.
Elections Inspector Joanne Smith said the morning had been very busy, but things lulled in the afternoon.
"It's a good number, it's steady," she said. "But at this point I would say it's not as high as previous (presidential elections)."
City Clerk Jeremy Howard said despite the lull, turnout still remained consistent.
"We've never not had a line," he said.
Jim Wilmot, election official at Ganiar Elementary School for Precinct 1, said although turnout seemed consistently high, it was actually probably about the same as previous years.
"It's been better than any of our mid-term elections, and probably at this point better than our last presidential," he said. "But I expect numbers to probably even out by the end of the day."
Mary Jo Doyle, election official at city hall, said everyone came very ready to exercise their right.
"They've been pretty determined and really committed to come," she said. "Even if they have to wait or just come back later."
Sally Pomerantz, another city hall election official, said it was commendable to see everyone coming to the polls. One woman who came to vote did not have an address, but was still determined to make sure her voice was heard.
Howard said there has been no issues with any of the ballot machines or anything directly related to the voting. The only minor issue had been with one of the machines used to take names of those who came in to vote.
"There's been nothing unusual, it's normal stuff that would happen with a computer," Howard said. "One was trying to update and we had to tell it no. It's nothing that would affect the actual voting process."
The only problem Smith said she encountered was keeping up with the ballot collector, as it filled up quickly and had to be emptied frequently.
In 2008, precincts nationwide experienced high turnout rates as young and minority voters came out to the polls at rates not seen in years.
