Lexington County voters turn out for primary election

LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS) - Voters arrived at Lexington County polling places as soon as they opened at 7 a.m. for the primary election.

Lenice Shoemaker, director of Lexington County Voter Registration and Elections, shared reminders for voters to help poll workers move through the process.

“You don’t have to pick a party, you just have to tell us what ballot style you would like to use today, and just please bring a photo ID that is used to identify you, and then you will just state your address, and then they will get you the correct ballot style for you to use today,” Shoemaker said.

Some locations had glitches, but voters said the issues were fixed quickly.

Rose Faust, a Lexington County voter, said there was a computer issue at the beginning, but everything was resolved quickly.

Aunte Bultonmoore said her voting experience was smooth with no lines and no wait.

Cecil Whetstone said the voting precinct had changed and people were not notified, causing confusion about where to vote. Once he arrived at the correct location, he said everything was fine.

Why voters turned out

With many of the state’s top offices on the ballot, including a historic governor’s race, voters said they felt compelled to participate.

Ed Williams, a Lexington County voter and Air Force veteran, said voting is important to him because he wants to make things better for future generations.

“It’s very important for me to get out and vote because I don’t like the way things really are, and I think my vote matters, and I’m trying to make it better for someone behind me,” Williams said.

Laura Nimons said she votes every time because it is important to have voices heard.

Whetstone, 87, said voting is his civic duty.

“I’m an American, and I’m going to vote every year if I’m alive,” Whetstone said.

Bultonmoore brought her son to the polls to show him the voting process.

“I brought my son this morning because one, he needs to see what we need to do to make changes to our community, especially in the state of South Carolina, and now is the time to see him being a second grader that’s coming up and just to see how the experience is and once he turns 18, he’ll already know what to do,” Bultonmoore said.

Faust said voting is essential for having a voice.

“As a new generation, we all need to come out and vote and voice our opinion. If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice, so you can’t say anything about what’s going on if you don’t come out and vote,” Faust said.

Polls are open until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

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