No Obama, so S.C. Democratic primary turnout not expected to reach 2008 level

Democratic voters in South Carolina’s primary will choose Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton Saturday, but the Democrats aren’t expecting record turnouts that Republicans had Feb. 20 or that Democrats had in 2008.

Republicans had the insurgency campaign of Donald Trump last week, sparking the highest primary turnout in state history with 742,000 votes cast, including more than 38,000 votes in York County. And in 2008 Democrats in South Carolina – where more than half the voters are black – had Barack Obama as a candidate and 532,000 people voted in that primary – more than 19,000 of those in York County.

Republican turnout last week and Democratic turnout in 2008 shattered records.

“We are excited for the primary election, but it does not seem we will reach the level of 2008,” said Amy Hayes, chair of the York County Democratic Party. “Yet there is plenty of enthusiasm.”

Political observers and experts also said that turnout statewide Saturday is expected to be up to 400,000.

In York County, elections officials reported Friday afternoon that more than 1,160 absentee ballots had been cast.

Clinton leads all polls with a commanding lead and is widely expected to win Saturday in the first primary in the South. However, political leaders in the Democratic Party are urging voters not to take any expected finish for granted and to exercise their right to vote. Any registered voter who did not vote in the Feb. 20 Republican Party primary is eligible to vote Saturday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Turnout among young voters who don’t have the longtime track records of older voters is expected to be crucial. In Chester County, a county that historically is Democratic, Democrats are still hoping for a large turnout, said Angela Douglas, a political scientist who is also a Chester City Council member and officer with the S.C. Democratic Women’s Council.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 3:02 PM with the headline "No Obama, so S.C. Democratic primary turnout not expected to reach 2008 level."