Political Science professor offers insight on Election Day
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) —
According to the South Carolina Election Commission, as of November 2nd, more than 431,000 South Carolinians have voted early.
The Election Commission also reports that on November 2nd alone, around 50,000 people have cast their ballots.
Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Todd Shaw, says it’s clear that individuals in both political parties have a high incentive to vote in this election.
“I’m sure there will be record turnout tomorrow, and it promises that early voting will be at least a third of all votes cast. Which is an indication of just how much South Carolinians are really kind of interested in using early voting as an option versus standing in line on November 8th,” says Dr. Shaw.
He says some national polls show trends on who prefers to early vote versus vote on Election Day, saying, “Democratic voters have been leaning towards mail in voting and early voting, and so I suspect that we’ll see aspects of higher Republican turnout to occur tomorrow.”
He believes this election will see voters who may not have voted in the past, cast their ballot.
“This is probably one of those elections like 2020 where there are some really high salience issues that will turn out more of those low propensity voters. Like the economy and inflation, at least polls have been conveying that those are central issues on people’s minds. Issues like crime, which will also be on voters’ minds. But then likewise many of these social and civil rights issues,” Dr. Shaw says.
Dr. Shaw says while he doesn’t believe there will be a dramatic drop in younger people voting, he believes we can expect about the same turnout for young voters as in the 2018 midterms.
Dr. Shaw also says if you feel unsure about a candidate’s stance on something you see on social media, go directly to the candidate’s website to get a clearer picture.
He added, “I just want to encourage folks in a very non-partisan way, to exercise your right to vote. It really is key to being a citizen — is the right to vote.”
For all of your up-to-date Election Day news, stay tuned to ABC Columbia News.
