Five hours - that's how long a voter stood in line, her hair flat and straggled from rain showers, before pushing the button at 3 p,.m. Wescott Elementary School in North Charleston. The wait was so bad the rest room ran out of necessary paper, she said.
Saul Dam, the rural southern Dorchester County precinct considered the least populated, shared the booths at Beech Hill Elementary School with the suburban Beech Hill precinct. At mid-afternoon, cars still jammed the parking lot and were lined up along Highway 61.
Voters waiting in the morning for the Ladson Elementary School booths brought lawn chairs and lounged.
A lot of the problems of waiting can be solved by voting absentee. And I don't mean standing in line at the election warehouse for four hours. Call the people up and ask for an absentee ballot. They mail you one, you fill it out, mail it back and,presto! you've voted! Anyone over 65 can vote absentee. Anyone who works in a different town from their voting precinct, like living in Summerville but working in Charleston, can apply for an absentee ballot. There are many conditions in which one can vote absentee. I think it would help a lot if more people did this.
Posted by: Gloria Jenkins | November 04, 2008 at 05:57 PM