Strong turnout predicted from Horry County voters for SC GOP primary
Horry County voters head to the polls on Saturday for the first in the South primary to cast ballots for Republican candidates vying for the party’s presidential nomination.
The list of contenders has been significantly trimmed since the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, with New York Billionaire Donald Trump still leading in South Carolina and national polls.
However, the rest of the field is aggressively jockeying for top positions behind Trump to capture some of the state’s 50 delegates, a highly prized number among the state primaries that will determine the party’s nominee by early spring.
South Carolina voters can only cast ballots in one presidential primary. Polls will be open for the Republican contest Saturday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., and the cutoff for absentee voting by mail is Tuesday, however voters can still cast absentee ballots in person at the Horry County Registration and Elections office until Friday.
The Democratic primary Election Day is Feb. 27, or voters choosing to participate in that election can also cast absentee ballots for either Hillary Clinton or U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in person at the elections office until Feb. 26.
Voters trapped in long lines at 7 p.m. on both election days will still be allowed inside polling places to vote.
Photo identification is required to cast ballots, and can include drivers licenses or identification cards issued by the state’s Motor Vehicle Department, a South Carolina voter registration card with photo, military ID card, or U.S. passport.
In the four polls conducted across South Carolina since last week, Trump has a commanding lead while U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is running in second place.
The real question is, is Trump going to be the Newt Gingrich for 2016 or will South Carolina go back to the pattern of picking the party’s nominee?
David Woodard
Clemson University political science professor and Republican consultantHowever, one poll by the American Research Group showed Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulling ahead of the field for the second-place spot with 15 percent of the vote. Other polling shows Kasich running in fourth place.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is building momentum in the state and running third in the polls, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush still lags in fifth place with a polling average of 10.5 percent, followed by Dr. Ben Carson in last place with a 4.5 percent average, according to Real Clear Politics.
Trump has maintained a strong lead in South Carolina with a polling average of 37 percent, followed by Cruz with a 17 percent polling average. Trump won the New Hampshire primary but placed second to Cruz in the Iowa Caucus.
With less than a week to go, all of the candidates are campaigning across the state including the Grand Strand area, where Rubio heads to North Myrtle Beach Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. town hall meeting at the Barefoot Resort Conference Center, and Trump returns Friday at noon for a campaign rally at the Myrtle Beach Sports Center.
David Woodard, Clemson University political science professor and Republican consultant, is conducting a poll of South Carolina residents this week and says that respondents who were initially surveyed on Sunday following Saturday night’s debate were still strong for Trump.
“The real question is, is Trump going to be the Newt Gingrich for 2016 or will South Carolina go back to the pattern of picking the party’s nominee?” Woodard said.
South Carolina has a fairly solid record in choosing the Republican Party’s eventual nominee, with the most recent exception of Gingrich in 2012, who went on to lose the nomination to Mitt Romney.
The South Carolina primary could be a pivotal race for Cruz or Rubio if they manage to bump Trump from the top spot, and Woodard said South Carolinians are noted for making last-minute changes of heart.
“I think it will be close and very liquid. There are apparently some really anger voters, but some people out there don’t seem to know what they are going to do — we have a history of making up our minds at the last minute,” Woodard said.
Clemson University’s final poll won’t be released until Friday, but on Monday, Woodard said it looks like Trump still maintains the lead.
“This is my last time doing statewide polling, and I told everyone I want to go out a winner, but I’m afraid I will call it wrong,” Woodard said.
If Trump carries the state yet fails to capture the party’s nomination, Woodard said it may doom South Carolina’s chances of remaining the first primary in the south.
“If we lose our position as first in the south, we’ll become Wyoming — no candidates will ever stop here again,” Woodard said.
“I just hope voters won’t be boneheaded again. Another Newt Gingrich and we may be out of the game,” Woodard said.
If South Carolinians fail to pick the eventual nominee, Woodard said Florida and North Carolina will line up to claim the south’s first primary.
Reese Boyd III, Horry County GOP State Executive committeeman, said the large attendance of voters to Myrtle Beach area campaign events — particularly Trump’s rally in December and Rubio’s first town hall event here last week — signals a strong turnout of voters locally.
“People are energized. They want to find a conservative alternative to the current regime,” Boyd said.
“I think it underscores the importance of this election,” said Boyd, who urged Republicans to get to the polls early Saturday morning.
“If people don’t vote, they can’t complain about the government,” Boyd said. “This is not just another day in paradise. This is an important choice.”
Audrey Hudson 843-444-1765; Twitter @AudreyHudson
South Carolina Presidential Primary information
Saturday is the Republican Presidential Preference Primary Election. The Democrat Presidential Preference Primary Election is Saturday, Feb. 27. Voters may participate in only ONE presidential primary.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and registered voters waiting in line at 7 p.m. will still be allowed to vote. The primaries will be held under the rules for providing photo identification at the polling place.
Unofficial results from Horry County and for all counties in South Carolina, will be posted on http://www.scvotes.org/. The polls will close at 7 p.m. and the results will then be tallied.
For more information on the Presidential Preference Primaries, call Horry County Registration and Elections at 843-915-5440.
Listing of Horry County Precincts for the Presidential Preference Primaries
Adrian Academy of Tech/Academics
Allsbrook Cane Branch Baptist Church
Atlantic Beach Atlantic Beach Community Center
Aynor Aynor Town Hall
Bayboro-Gurley Bayboro Fire Station
Brooksville #1 Ralph Ellis County Building
Brooksville #2 Grace Christian Church
Brownway Pee Dee Elementary School
Burgess #1 St. James Elementary School
Burgess #2 Burgess Community Center
Burgess #3 St. James Middle School
Burgess #4 Burgess Elementary School
Carolina Bays Carolina Forest Community Church
Carolina Forest #1 Carolina Forest Elem. School
Carolina Forest #2 Carolina Forest High School
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove Baptist Church
Cherry Grove #1 Chapel by the Sea Baptist Church
Cherry Grove #2 Little River Neck Rd Fire Station
Coastal Carolina Christ Community Church
Coastal Lane #1 21st Ave N – County Complex
Coastal Lane #2 Mary C Canty Recreational Center
Cool Springs Cool Springs Methodist Church
Crescent NMB Community Center
Daisy Daisy Elementary School
Deerfield Surfside Presbyterian Church
Dogbluff Aynor Elementary School
Dogwood Chestnut Building
Dunes #1 MB Fire Station #5
Dunes #2 Lake Arrowhead Fire Station
Dunes #3 *See bottom of list (combined)
East Conway Conway Library
East Loris Loris Elementary School
Ebenezer The Christian Church
Emerald Forest #1 Grand Strand Baptist Church
Emerald Forest #2 St Marys Missionary Bapt Church
Emerald Forest #3 Ocean Bay Middle School
Enterprise Socastee Library
Forestbrook Forestbrook Baptist Church Gym
Four Mile Bethany Bible Chapel
Galivants Ferry Pee Dee Farms Store
Garden City #1 *See bottom of list (combined)
Garden City #2 Garden City Fire Station
Garden City #3 Seaside Elementary School
Garden City #4 Magnolia Grove Clubhouse
Glenns Bay South Strand Recreation Center
Green Sea Finklea Fire Station
Hickory Grove Kingston Baptist Church
Hickory Hill Pleasant Meadow Baptist Church
Homewood Homewood Elementary School
Horry Salem Baptist Church
Inland Bucksport Library/EMS
Jackson Bluff Sweetwater Baptist Church
Jamestown South Conway Elementary School
Jernigans X Rds Jernigans X Rds Store
Jet Port #1 MB Fire Station #3
Jet Port #2 *See bottom of list (combined)
Jordanville Highpoint Baptist Church
Joyner Swamp Berea Baptist Church
Juniper Bay Juniper Bay Baptist Church
Lake Park Socastee High School
Leon Old Longs School/Headstart
Little River #1 Little River United Methodist Church
Little River #2 St. Paul AME Church
Little River #3 Little River Fire Station #2
Live Oak Live Oak Baptist Church
Maple Maple Baptist Church
Marlowe #1 St. James High School
Marlowe #2 Timberlake Bapt. Church
Marlowe #3 St. James High School
Methodist-Mill Swamp Midland Elementary School
Mt. Olive-Floyds Green Sea Floyds Senior Center
Mt. Vernon Community Center
Myrtle Trace Myrtle Trace Clubhouse
Myrtlewood #1 MB Intermediate School
Myrtlewood #2 MB Fire Station #6
Myrtlewood #3 Myrtle Beach Church of Christ
Nixons X Rds #1 NMB High School
Nixons X Rds #2 NMB Middle School
Nixons X Rds #3 North Strand Recreation Center
North Conway #1 Collins Park Building
North Conway #2 Conway Elementary School
Ocean Drive #1 Fire Station
Ocean Drive #2 St. Stephens Episcopal Church
Ocean Forest #1 *See Bottom of list (Combined)
Ocean Forest #2 Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA
Ocean Forest #3 First Freewill Baptist Church
Palmetto Bays Palmetto Bays Elem School
Pawleys Swamp Pawley Swamp Baptist Church
Pleasant View Pleasant View Baptist Church
Poplar Hill Pleasant Union Baptist Church
Port Harrelson Bucksport Community Center
Racepath #1 Conway Senior Center
Racepath #2 Whittemore Park Middle School
Red Bluff Pleasant Hill Baptist Church
Red Hill #1 Waccamaw Elementary School
Red Hill #2 Centenary United Meth. Church
River Oaks Ocean Bay Elementary School
Salem Salem Methodist Church
Sea Oats #1 First Baptist Church - Gymnasium
Sea Oats #2 Midway Missionary Baptist Church
Sea Winds Calvary Christian School
Shell Bethlehem Baptist Church
Socastee #1 Socastee High School
Socastee #2 Coastal Worship Center
Socastee #3 Forestbrook Elementary
Socastee #4 Beach Church/MB Community Church
Spring Branch-Norton Spring Branch Baptist Church
Surfside #1 Dick Johnson Civic Center
Surfside #2 Calhoun Building-Surfside Methodist Church
Surfside #3 Grand Strand Church of Christ
Surfside #4 Lakewood Elementary School
Sweet Home Goretown Fire Station
Taylorsville Mt Pisgah Baptist Church
Tilly Swamp Tilly Swamp Baptist Church
Toddville Union Methodist Church
Wampee Riverside Elementary School
West Conway Horry County Govt/Justice Center
West Loris Loris Public Safety Center
White Oak New Home #1 Baptist Church
Wild Wing Christ the Servant Lutheran Church
Windy Hill #1 Windy Hill Fire Station
Windy Hill #2 NMB Fire Station #5
Precincts moved to different locations
Dunes #3 Windy Hill Fire Station – 801 33rd Ave N – NMB
Garden City #1 Seaside Elementary School –1605 Woodland Ave - GC
Jet Port #2 MB Fire Station #3 -2108 S Kings Hwy – MB
Ocean Forest #1 MB Fire Station #6 – 970 38th Ave N – MB
SOURCE: Horry County Public Information Office
This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Strong turnout predicted from Horry County voters for SC GOP primary."