A rainy Election Day did not deter South Carolinians from casting their ballots for federal, state and local races.

In Greenville County, turnout was around 65%, according to Elections Director Conway Belangia. Spartanburg County saw a turnout rate of about 72%, and 66% of registered voters turned out in Anderson.

Voter turnout was about 67% statewide.

Before Election Day, more than 1.5 million voters had cast a ballot either through early voting or absentee ballots. 

In the 4^th  Congressional District, Democrat Kathryn Harvey looked to unseat Incumbent William Timmons but failed to capture enough votes.

“This community really has turned out. The support has been overwhelming,” Harvey said. 

The district has a GOP stronghold and has not elected a Democrat since Bob Inglis unseated Liz Patterson in 1992.  But, Harvey says it is a “misnomer” that the district’s voters prefer “hardline politics.” 

“The folks who maybe have never voted Democrat before but wanted to talk about issues with me and are willing to think about the person that they want to represent them and not just the party, has been incredible,” Harvey said. 

During her campaign, Harvey criticized Timmons for not being present in the 4th congressional district and for not voting to certify the 2020 election.

“At the end of the day, the election law changes that the Democrats pushed were unconstitutional, and you can call it cheating. You can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day, you can’t change the rules of the game right before the game is over,” Timmons said.

SC Democrats undeterred

Though South Carolina overall voted for former President Donald Trump overwhelmingly, Democrats still proudly cast a ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Maxine Duckett said the issue top of mind for her was women’s rights, adding that Trump was a “bully.”

“He is a person that’s really saying, ‘Hey, it’s okay to be bullying’,” Duckett said.

As a mother of three daughters, ages 24, 19, and 14, Duckett said, voting for the country’s potential first female president was “important.”

For Dante Tabor, Duckett’s partner, voting was a way for him to use his voice as a person who is physically disabled. Tabor was born conjoined to his twin brother, who later died.

“I can do anything that a normal person can do. I might be special, I might got a learning disability, but I can do things that normal people can do. And I think it’s time for my voice to be heard,” Tabor said. It was his first time voting.

For Greenville County GOP chairwoman Yvonne Julian, the mood at the headquarters was “jubilation.”

“There’s a lot of happiness and, you know, pride in the job that we’ve done, and a lot of excitement.”