Absentee voting in SC hits record-high ahead of Midterm Election

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- Early and absentee voters came out in record numbers ahead of Tuesday Midterm elections.

More than 260,000 absentee ballots have been issued statewide, and more than 230,000 absentee ballots have been returned.  For the 2014 General Election, the last midterm, approximately 157,000 absentee ballots were cast, which was the previous record for absentee voting in a midterm election.

Voters say they are ready to exercise their constitutional right.

“If you don’t vote, you don’t have a say so,”David Bonipart a voter said.

“I really wanted to just be apart of the Democracy,” first time voter, Jeff Adams said.

“I think that the power of the individual needs to be emphasized in today’s world,” voter, Tayla Robinson said. “I’m trying to make that my personnel policy.”

On Monday, voters in Richland County stood in a line that stretched down the sidewalk of the Richland County Commissioners office.