Daniel Prince
Turnout slightly lower than 2018 but higher than 2014
Early voting is still a new option in South Carolina, but Union County saw a high number of voters using that option this year. One out of every four ballots cast were from early voters—2221 out of 8780. Overall voter turnout this year was 53.99%. That is down from 13,383 voters in the 2020 presidential election, which featured 76.4% turnout. Turnout was also slightly lower than in the 2018 midterm elections, which featured 9045 ballots cast and a 55.6% turnout. This year’s turnout was higher than in 2014, when 8011 ballots were cast with a 47.2% turnout.
Highest turnout honors this election cycle goes to Adamsburg, with a voter turnout of 62.68%. Putnam trailed slightly behind, at 62.19%, and West Springs came in third, at 61.94%. The lowest voter turnout came in three city precincts. Ward 4 Box 2 had the lowest turnout, at 31.02%. Ward 3 had the second-lowest turnout, at 38.14%, and Ward 1 Box 2 was third-lowest, at 46.98%. Outside the city, Carlisle had the next lowest turnout, at 49.23%, with Buffalo slightly higher at 49.25%. Excelsior had the most early voters, with 252, followed by Monarch with 189 and Ward 2 at 187. Black Rock had the fewest early voters, with 15. West Springs had 16 early voters, and Ward 4 Box 2 had 24.