Horry County 2019 elections: Were there any major problems with the new voting machines?
Voters from Myrtle Beach to Aynor took to their local elections sites to pick who will be leading their cities for the years to come.
The 2019 elections are a non-partisan race for municipal leaders. Races were held in Surfside Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Briarcliffe Acres, Atlantic Beach, Loris, Aynor and Conway. There was also a vote held on a border issues between Georgetown and Horry counties.
When folks arrived at their polling location, they were greeted by a new voting machine system. Voters went to a electronic machine, selected their candidates and a completed ballot was printed out. The ballot was then scanned into a computer and placed into a lock box that was taken to the election headquarters for counting.
The new machines were selected by the State of South Carolina, and this is their first test during a major election. North Myrtle Beach Election Commissioner Teressa Dew said she was happy the new system was being tested in a race that typically has lower turnout.
The new machines will be used for the 2020 elections.
While ballot counting would happen later in the day, no major issues were reported with the machines by midday Tuesday in North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach or Conway.
North Myrtle Beach Resident Tom Heyn said he had no problem adapting to the new machines and thought the process was easy enough.
“It was very modern,” he said.
People have been receptive to the new machines, Dew said. A benefit is the new system creates a paper trail from when someone gets a ballot at the check-in desk, their results are printed onto the ballot after voting and when it gets a final count at city hall Tuesday night, she added.
Unofficial results from the races will most likely be available Tuesday night, with the certification of official results coming later in the week.
Election results were unavailable ahead of The Sun New’s print deadline. Once the unofficial results are in, they can be found at myrtlebeachonline.com.
Individual municipalities handled their own elections with the exception of the border issue and Surfside Beach, which were handled by Horry County’s election office. Each race’s results must be certified before a candidate is officially deemed the winner.
Conway City Spokesperson Taylor Newell said that voter turnout had been light as of 1:30 p.m., but she was hopeful more folks would drop in after work.
Dew said turnout was pretty good in North Myrtle Beach for an odd-year election, with a line even forming in the morning at the Ocean Drive 2 Precinct. She said, for her, it is unconscionable for someone not to participate through voting.
“It’s a privilege to vote. I can’t imagine not voting because we are fortunate to live in a democracy,” Dew said.
