In terms of who will win South Carolina’s nine Electoral College votes, there is very little question – former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the White House, is expected to skate away with the state, even as it’s only two border-sharing neighbors – Georgia and North Carolina – spent most of this year’s election cycle as swing states.
But such certainty doesn’t do much to quell worries among some South Carolina voters, regardless of whether they support Trump or his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Austin Highley, a voter in Lancaster County, did not say who he voted for when we met outside his polling location Tuesday, but he did say he is edgy about the future.
“Whoever’s going to win’s going to win,” Highley said. “But I guess I’m worried what the aftermath could be, given the sensationalism that’s out there in the media. I’m worried about how that fuels the flames in one direction or another.”
Highley said he’s concerned that the final result of the presidential race, regardless of the winner, could trigger violence.
“I’m a little worried for the potential unrest,” he said. “But obviously I’m crossing my fingers and trying to be optimistic that that won’t happen.”
Brynna Goss, also a voter in Lancaster County, said she’s concerned about where the country will go.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Goss aid. “Depending on who becomes the president; depending on the taxes and housing costs.”
Goss is a college student who said she’s troubled by how hard it is for young people to get anywhere in life when they can barely afford to pay for that life.
Young people, she said, “are also trying to pay off their school debts while trying to find housing to live in, and a well-paying job.”
When I asked Goss how she felt overall, she said: “Just feeling anxious.”
Another young voter, Darrell Woods, voted Tuesday in his first election in Chester. Like Highley and Goss, Woods did not say who he voted for in the presidential race. But also like Highley and Goss, he feels it.
“It’s nerve-wracking, to be honest,” he said. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on.”
Woods also agreed with Goss that housing, coupled with the cost of living in an increasingly expensive state, is hard to navigate in one’s early 20s.
“Housing went through the roof out of nowhere,” he said. “The cost of living is crazy. Plus, jobs ain’t paying more, but everything’s going up.”
At the same time, Woods struck an optimistic note about how the future could unfold.
“I’m young,” he said. “So it’s our turn to make a change.”
Not all voters are anxious about tomorrow. Jessie Savilla, a voter in Rock Hill who supports the vice president, said she’s excited about the kind of future a Harris presidency could bring.
“I’m excited because we have a Black candidate,” Savilla said. “And a female. I think she’s done a great job of getting out there and … she’s very positive.”
So what if the election doesn’t go her way?
“I have to accept whatever comes my way,” Savilla said. “If she doesn’t win, I’ll have to accept the consequences. Whatever happens, happens.”
In Chester, Trump supporter David Atkinson said much the same.
“I do believe we need to change course from the last four years” Atkinson said.
But if he’s not so fond of the recent past, he said he’s excited for the future.
“I feel good,” Atkinson said.
And if Election 2024 doesn’t go his way?
“I just take it one day at a time,” he said. “It’s all you can do. If it doesn’t go my way, I’ll just carry on, that’s all.”
