Election 2022: Polls close in South Carolina; The Sumter Item to post results as they come in

As polls close on the 2022 general midterm elections Tuesday, Sumter saw steady turnout throughout the day.

A handful of local seats are being contested, including all nine Sumter school board seats, one Sumter City Council seat and two Clarendon County Council seats in addition to state and national seats that impact Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties.

Voter turnout as of about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday was up to a little more than 25,000 in Sumter, according to Patricia Jefferson, director of voting and registration for Sumter County.

She projected turnout to reach above 40% and hoped for all votes to be tallied and recorded before Tuesday turned to Wednesday.

Voters took advantage of the different ways they could vote this year, including curbside, which was available at every precinct.

“It helps those who can't get out like they used to," said Debbie Grooms, who voted at the Sumter Career and Technology Center Tuesday.

Grooms' parents were in the car when they cast their ballots.

"They were determined to vote," Grooms said. 

Stewart Lane, a 95-year-old World War II veteran, voted at Wilson Hall. When asked about the changes in voting throughout his lifetime, he talked about it going from hand-submitting ballots to machines.

"It's been automated, which is good, and it's faster," he said.

Jefferson and her staff began work Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Sumter Item will update results throughout the night as they become available. Visit www.theitem.com, specifically www.theitem.com/election2022, for coverage, including comments from winners.