Helen Foley, a poll worker at Ward 23 on Devine Street, said the turnout is similar to that of the 2008 Presidential Election.
People waiting to vote at Faith Methodist Church in Lexington.
/ Sara Jane Harris
COLUMBIA (WACH) - Several Midlands precincts are reporting high voter turnout Tuesday afternoon.
Helen Foley, a poll worker at Ward 23 on Devine Street, said the turnout is similar to that of the 2008 Presidential Election.
"We've had a very good turnout. We are in our second book, we've had over 200 voters this morning,” said Foley.
Columbia resident Susan Craig was one of those voters.
"I care and if I want to make a difference I've got to vote," Craig said.
"Approximately one-third of the eligible voters in this precinct have voted," said Ward 12 Poll Worker James Green. Green said voter turnout is about normal for the precinct.
As of noon on Tuesday, Green said he's seen about 400 voters cast their ballot. Columbia resident Sheldon Green said the election was too important to miss.
"A lot of people are running for office for the first time. There is a lot of dissatisfaction with how government is going today so I really felt like it was important for me to get out and vote," Green said.
Meanwhile the line at Faith Methodist Church in Lexington was out the door.
"Turnout has been good, we're at about 730 and that's pretty heavy," said Poll Worker Rollin Mills.
Mills said despite the line, things are running smoothly.
Tuesday morning the poll worker said issues with the voting machines slowed the voting process.
"We had two situations where computers hung up and you know they are touch screen and you touch them and nothing would happen, but we repaired that so we were down two computers for a while," Mills said.
The S.C. State Election Commission said Tuesday afternoon turnout across the state was heavy at many precincts.
The commission also released several tips for voters headed to the polls:
1. South Carolina voters who have questions or concerns regarding the voting process should visit www.scvotes.org or call their local election office. This will allow election officials to quickly address any potential issues and help ensure the general election runs efficiently at precincts statewide. A complete listing of local election office phone numbers are available at www.scvotes.org.
2. South Carolina voters are required to show any one of three forms of identification in order to vote: voter registration card, driver's license or a picture ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
3. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. All voters in line by 7 p.m. will be able to cast their ballot. The heaviest times to vote have traditionally been earlier in the morning, during lunch and after work hours. Please plan accordingly.
For complete election coverage and a list of polling places visit our politics page.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH