Update: Charleston-area voters report long lines everywhere

Dozens of News 2 viewers called or emailed us Tuesday about what they experienced at the polls.  Here are several first-hand accounts.  We will continue to update this as we hear from more of you.

5:51 p.m. “We arrived at 7:10 am at our precinct to vote. After standing at the end of the only visible line for 25 minutes, we were informed it was precinct # 1 line and precinct # 4 was on the other side. We went to that location only to find three lines that were alphabetical based on last name. The longest line was the one we had to get in based on our last name starting with C. We waited for over ninety minutes longer before voting…while the other two lines with noone in them were coming in and voting instantly. It should be first come , first served. Those of us with last names that begin with A should have to wait just as long as those that begin with Z.  Voting location problem was-  ( Colleton County - Walterboro precinct # 1 and #4 Forrest Hills Elementary School 633 Hiers Corner Rd.“ Cynthia Courtney

5:48 p.m. “I arrived at Coosaw Precinct (Fort Dorchester Elementary) at 6:50 AM and actually got to vote at 10:10 AM (just over a 3 hour wait).  At 10:10 AM there were 10 voting machines for voters in line and 4 (40%) of these machines were down!  At 10:10 AM, the line was about the same length as when I first arrived.“  Evan Thornton

4:32 p.m. “I spent “only” 21/2 hours voting this AM at AC Cocoran. There must be a better way to vote than this! Voting by computer is the best answer and would not be that hard to accomplish. You can look up all you voter info at http://www.scvotes.org. It would be just one more step to put the ballot on the next screen. Maybe this could be Channel 2’s next crusade.“

4:06 p.m. “My husband David just got in from voting at CPMS Ladson where he was in line from 10:45 till 3:30.  His biggest complaint was signing in which took much too long and he felt that was the problem causing the long wait.  They just weren’t set up for the large crowd they knew they were going to get. Having a bad hip and being over 70 David should of voted Absentee Ballot as I did but he didn’t think it would take 5 hours!‘  Joan Johnston

3:36 p.m. “I just returned to work after voting at Mt. Pleasant Precint 6 and 7.  It took me 4 hours to get through the line while others who got there an hour after me were finished voting 45 minutes before I was, and they were in the SAME precinct. This process is outdated and mismanaged to say the least!  While I can understand that voter turnout is higher than normal, I can’t understand how people voting at the same place, in the same precinct, at the same time can have 2 entirely different experiences.  I asked the polling manager for an explanation as to why he couldn’t adjust the way the lines were being operated and he told me, “in my opinion the only thing that needs to be changed is a baby’s diaper”.  While we’re on the subject of baby diapers, there was also another woman in line in front of me (for the same 4 hour trek) with a 5 month old baby.  No provisions were made for her or the disabled person who had waited in line at another polling center for hours only to be told that their location had changed.  In this day of technology it seems there must be a more efficient and productive way of managing this process.“  Amity0204

3:35 p.m. “I had to call the Berkeley County Voter office because the way the lines were set up at Boulder Bluff Elementary, it was causing the check in lines and the already checked in lines to cross and touch. Jim saw people who went from one line to the other without checking in.  I asked the poll manager what was keeping someone from going in the wrong line or someone who was not able to vote there from going into the line to vote, as we got no slip of paper or anything showing we had checked in.  His answer was “I am offended on behalf of the GOOD citizens of Berkeley County that you would suggest that someone would do something like that”.  My answer was that “Give me a break, Sometimes mistakes are made or there are bad people who would do that and if someone went into the wrong line by mistake and voted, how would you know?“ He very angrily and said he would take my suggestion on ‘advisement’. But was very upset at me for asking about this. My husband ( a deputy) was much further back in line than I was ( as he had to come from work) and he saw people moving back and forth in the different lines. Perhaps out of confusion or out of other reasons. When he asked the same poll manager about it, he was told that if more votes were cast than checked in then they would not count the votes. WHOSE VOTES WILL THEY THROW OUT!! There was no one for a while in the front area of the room and that is why I asked about this. I feel it was very unprofessional for the poll worker to act the way he did when I spoke to him, but after the deputy (in uniform) in line further back said something, then the poll workers cut back on the people coming into the room until after they cleared the line some to keep the lines separate. But in the mean time, they had mixing of the lines for at least the 2 hours I was in there, and how much longer before that? How many people perhaps did not check in correctly due to poll worker error or for other reasons?“  Katheryn Cousins-Brennan

1:58 p.m. “Organization at voting polls at Mt. Pleasant Precinct 6 & 7 was poor earlier today. There is no line for precinct 7. But no one tells you, so you stand outside in a 2 hour line only to find out that it was for nothing. No signs - only word of mouth as to which line was for 7 (the one with 10 people in it). Then at the front of the line there was one man who worked at the center, Mr.——, who was holding the white cards the people at the table needed to have people sign in (and take the white card to the machine). he held them so long that there was often no one in the actual voting line (after being signed in)... and people were frustrated being “held” at the front of the tables, esp when there was no line to vote (after being signed in) and a stack of “white papers” in Mr.——hand. (He failed to keep the line moving.) When someone asked another worker about this they were told, “Hush. get back in line. Don’t think when you come to vote. Just stand in line and be quiet.“ That is paraphrased but pretty close! I think he was trying to be funny, but it was not. Also, there were up to 3 machines unused at a time because people, apparently, could not push the “begin” button by themselves. (I moved from West Ashley and you had to do this part yourself.) Again, more of a wait than necessary…  And I would have voted absentee, but the county messed that up as well…. that is another story.“

1:36 p.m.  “I wanted to tell you about some problems at St. Andrew’s Middle/ West Ashley Intermediate on Wappoo Rd. West Ashley. I arrived about 7:15 this morning and waited in line for almost an hour before another voter came over to inform us that there were three different lines for the 3 different districts voting there. The poll workers never came past the beginning of the line to tell anyone anything. I have a special needs child who can’t get over heated and by the time we were only 6th away from the check-in desk, he was very overheated and on the verge of passing out from everyone being packed in the concession stand area of the gym like sardines. I had to leave the line after being there for 2 hours and tried to get assistance to do the curb-side voting, but I had to go blocks away to get the car, then create a space up front, since there were no well-marked assigned places for curb-side voting. By the time I finally found someone to let the poll workers know I was out there, just like I was told to do, I was then informed I would have to come back in to check-in then would have a poll worker bring the machine out to the car. Well that defeats the entire purpose. The standing in the hot overcrowded room is what caused my son to get overheated to start with!!!!! Not to mention I couldn’t leave my blind autistic child in the car. So I finally gave up and left very upset!!!!!“

1:35 pm “I am in 1A at James Island Elementary School. My time was 3 1/2 hours from the time I got in line until after I voted. The poll workers did not have enough cards to give to voters for another poll worker to plug in which ballot they needed. After I signed in I had to wait another 10 minutes to get my card. There were up to 5 people waiting to get cards. Out of 8 voting boxes, there were times only 4 were in use because of the hold up.“ Paula Cooper

“The lines at CC Blaney Elementary School were phenomenal this morning. We got there at 6:45 a.m. and waited 3 1/2 hours to vote!  Everything appeared to be running smoothly. We were very pleased to see such a huge turnout!“  Judi and Pat Randall, Hollywood

“I just left Summerville High after waiting in line for 5 hrs..I got there a 6:45 am to get a start before work. Needless to say that didnt happen. They had system problems and voting booths were breaking down. It was very chaotic. Dont get me wrong I am glad that we had a good turn out but just wanted to vent some anger.“  Maryann Spivey, Summerville

“This morning I voted at the Ridgeville Town Hall.  They had two lap top computers.  One was for A to M and the other was for N to Z.  While I was waiting, there were at least 40 – 50 people whose name began with N to Z who were allowed to just walk in the door and go ahead of the people whose names began with A to M.  So while I waited an hour and twenty-five minutes in line, persons whose name began with the letter N to Z were allowed to go ahead with no wait at all.  I realize that the poll workers had no control over this.  It just didn’t seem right.“  Mary Bain, Ridgeville.

“I voted at Ladson Elem this morning and was there at 6:30.  Once the doors opened at 7:00 things moved fairly quickly. We went half way around the school in 30 minutes, not bad. Then the poll manager Lou Baker decided to split the lines due to there being 2 precincts there. BIG MISTAKE! From that point the people in Ladson line waited 3 hours to get to the door to vote and the people from Deer Park precinct came after the people who had waited for 3 hours and still got to vote before them and leave. Needless to say there were a lot of upset people. Once you got inside in the door, the lines were divided by last name. A-D, E-R, and S-Z, so the people with E-R waited that much longer. Then even though Deer Park lines were shorter they were alternating the people in the 8 polling booths that were there to vote in. This was absolutely the worst voting experience of my life time. It took me 4 hours and 15 minutes to vote this morning. The line was wrapped almost completely around the school!!! CRAZY!!!!“  Tashara Parker