Horry, SC at the polls: How long are election lines, what issues do voters care about?
The polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Horry County with several hotly contested primary races — mostly on the Republican ticket — including for a U.S. House seat, county council chair and school board chair.
Polls will close at 7 p.m., though anyone waiting in line at that time will still be allowed to vote. Check here to see a full list of local polling locations.
There haven’t been any reports of long lines, wait times or issues with voting equipment as of midday. Contact reporters at sneditors@thesunnews.com if you encounter any such issues.
The competitive nature of these local races was reflected in the early voter turnout, as Horry County had the highest turnout in the state with 11,618 ballots cast before Election Day, according to State Election Commission data.
Jerry Cox was one of the first voters in line Tuesday at the Jetport #2 polling place in the Market Common area.
Cox, a retired state policeman from Virginia, said he always tries to get to the polls early, particularly if the weather forecast projects a very hot or cold day.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory noon-8 p.m. for the Myrtle Beach area as the heat index is projected to reach as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cox said his primary political concern at the moment is preserving his 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms, and he’s just hoping to see a fair election.
Teofil and Karen Lavinski, voting at the Glenns Bay Precinct in the Surfside Beach area, said one of their primary political aims is to institute terms limits for politicians.
They noted they didn’t particularly like any of the candidates vying for the U.S. District 7 House seat.
“They’ve all got their faults,” Karen Lavinski said.
Teofil Lavinski added that there should be a limit on campaign spending, pointing to the countless mailers, radio and television advertisements he’s been bombarded by from candidates in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
Darlene Vickers, voting at the Socastee #1 precinct, said she supported candidates only if she felt they represented Christian conservative values.
She was paying particular attention to the school board races, she said, because she wants to ensure her grandchildren aren’t taught Critical Race Theory, which centers on the idea that racism is embedded into institutions such as education, the justice system, policing and housing.
Primary election results will be unofficial until Thursday, the deadline for counties to certify their results and report then to the South Carolina Election Commission. The state will then certify election results on Friday. Any hand-count audits of county-level results must happen on Wednesday. In the event of a candidate not receiving 50% plus-one votes, they will head to a run-off election. Those will be held June 28, and polls will be open all day.
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 11:20 AM.
