More SC Women, Whites, and Middle-aged Register to Vote

More than two million South Carolinians will cast their vote in November and Monday the South Carolina State Election Commission said the registration statistics are interesting and somewhat surprising.

There were 243,000 new voters in 2008 up from 200,000 new voters in 2004. Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said even more people signed-up right before last week’s October 4th deadline.

“It’ll take a couple more weeks to catch up”, said Whitmire “we’ll see that 243,000 number rise…could approach to 300,000.“

Whitmire said rising interest in this year’s election has prompted more people to register. Greenville county had the highest number of people, 200,000, register to vote. That will make up more than 10% of the state’s voters. People aged 45-64 were also among the highest voters there, as well as in Spartanburg Counties. People aged 25-44 also made up big margins across the state.

More whites registered to vote than non-whites across South Carolina, particulary in the upstate and the midlands. There are also more women registered to vote than men.

“I do think it’s interesting that women in this country had the right to vote for less than a hundred years and there’s more women in South Carolina eligible to vote than men…and a lot of people find that statistic surprising”, said Whitmire, “it’s all interesting to look at….“.

Whitmire said he’s not sure of the specific election driving forces for higher voter participation, but that it’s ultimately imporant for people in South Carolina to make their voices heard.

“It’s how we choose our leaders and how we affect our government and the laws that govern us”, he said “if you think that’s important…then it’s important to vote”.

Whitmire said its important for people to see if they qualify for an absentee ballot. He also said anyone that registered to vote by mail should bring two forms of identification on election day.

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