Election day 2010: Presented with a Beaufort focus (live updates)

Flickr user Renee Silverman

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Poll-closing update: We're headed to the time for results (polls start closing at 7). For national results head to The New York Times: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor results, and they even have a nice page for major SC race results. For those from the state get state results here and county-level results here.

We'll still be updating bellow with race-specific updates.


Well this is it, the big day across the nation, South Carolina, and the Beaufort area.

If you're still not sure on how to vote today or need more info on the candidates, check out our roundup from yesterday on how to and roundup on candidate profiles.

Quick links: Live blog, Tweets.

Intro (scroll down for the live part)

We'll be updating here with the most notable information throughout the day. I'll also point you to the #bftvotes and #sc2010 hashtags on Twitter for real-time updates (we've embedded the #bftvotes tag below).

For just outside home coverage, The Post and Courier also has a live blog, and The State has a live blog as well. The Island Packet has an election page, but that doesn't seem to be updated very often.

Results won't start coming in until at least 7 p.m. when the polls begin to close, as they do we'll mention notable updates here. We'll also be pointing you to South Carolina's official vote tally website, where you can get near-real time vote counts (here's a quick link to Beaufort County results). Also, S.C. ETV will be doing a live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

As for national results, I suggest you check out The New York Times' centerpiece graphics on the homepage, they usually have the best online presentations out there.

For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

The upstate U.S. House incumbent John Spratt is one to watch for on a national scale as his seat is battled for as the Republicans try to take 39 House seats to gain control of the chamber. They still need an iffier 10 Senate seats for that chamber.

If you didn't know, Republicans Nikki Haley (governor race), Senator Jim DeMint, and House Rep. Joe Wilson are all favored to win their bids for seats presently held by Republicans.

Live updates

Update 9:50 a.m.: Polls seem to be going well with an apparent respectable turnout, and The Post and Courier is offering up anecdotal evidence that we'll see near-record mid-term turnout. Expect posts to be slower down here until we hit 5 p.m. or so, unless all hell breaks loose. In the meantime, I'll direct you to the Twitter #bftvotes updates below.

Update 10:55 a.m.: Still sounds like things are moving fine in the Beaufort area, but there are reports of voting problems with the electronic machines in Kershaw County near Columbia.

There's also an interesting piece over at The New York Times about how those getting elected now may benefit from an economic recovery already underway. The paper also mentions Nikki Haley.

in part the paper says:"And it’s the politicians who catch the political wave at such fortunate economic moments — particularly governors who get themselves elected during hard times and then preside over the upswing — who tend to establish themselves as folk heroes and turnaround experts, rising to national prominence not just because of their policies but also because of their timing. Which could be very good news for some Republicans like John Kasich, who may yet become Ohio’s next governor, or for an unknown like Nikki Haley, who stands to win in South Carolina." Read their full report here.

Update 11 a.m.: Seeing more notes of high turnout across the country, not just locally.

Update 11:10 a.m.: The New York Times has added a post that details their planned election night coverage and how they'll roll it out starting around 6 p.m. Part of that includes state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's the South Carolina page, while it doesn't off local and Statehouse race info, it's a bit more user friendly than the more detailed state results page from SCVotes.org.

Update 1:30 p.m.: Narrative reporting from around the county is that there are waits as long as 30 minutes to an hour to vote. Definitely not typical for Beaufort County. Some precincts are showing projected turnouts as high if not higher than the 2008 presidential election.

Will be interesting to see total turnout when it's all said and done.

Some word of ballot discrepancies and campaign infractions here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

The Island Packet has filed a mid-day staff report on the election lines and Editor Jeff Kidd has been on the ground going from precinct to precinct. Check it out here.

Update 3:30 p.m.: Turnout appears to remain heavy around the county with voting appearing more inline with a presidential election than a mid-term.

That's a stat we'll watch as results come in. For comparison voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms.

Also, I spotted state Rep.  Shannon Erickson (R) at the Greene Street Gym polling station for Beaufort 2 concerned about voters that were incorrectly getting ballots without her District 124, but District 121 ballots, and vice versa. But candidates for both seats are unopposed.

The Island Packet has updated its mid-day report with some coverage of the split-precinct issue in Beaufort 2. Check it out here.

Update 5:15 p.m.: We're under the 2 hour mark until polling spots start closing. So pick a good watching spot for the results to start coming. -- And on that note I'd like to point out a few links: Get state results here and county-level results here. We'll also be updating this page with bigger wins/leanings.

S.C. ETV will be doinga live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

On a national level The New York Times has many graphics being offered, including their state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's their South Carolina page. For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

Update 5:40 p.m.: As we start to look towards the results, I'd like to point out two more of the Times' graphics for the Senate and House seats that show what seats are in play and which are leaning: House graphicSenate graphic. -- But it doesn't look like those will be updated, for results: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor resultsmajor SC race results

Update 7:55 p.m.: With some long lines some South Carolina polls have had to stay open late and we're just seeing results beginning to trickle in. 

The S.C. site is behind but the N.Y. Times has data coming in already, but less than 1% is reporting at this point.

Update 8:10 p.m.: The Beaufort County Election website now says local results won't be posted until after 9 p.m. And so we wait.

Update 8:20 p.m.: We continue to wait on Beaufort County's results, but statewide they're coming in a bit quicker. With 4% reporting Sheheen leads Haley by a very slim margin and Joe Wilson leads Rob Miller 64-32.

Update 9:15 p.m.:  Here's where we're at. BCgov.net. still has nothing in terms of local returns on its website. Meanwhile the SC Election Commission has half of Beaufort County reporting, but it doesn't update solely local results, only statewide races. Meanwhile, the gov and House District 2 races are neck and neck. And we keep keeping on.

The Island Packet has someone stationed at the Beaufort County Election Office and is reporting Doug Henderson comfortably ahead in the treasurer's race.

Also, the four constitutional questions look likely to pass. The reserve funds have +70% approval, the right to private ballots have 84% approval, and hunting/fishing question has 89% approval. 

Update 9:45 p.m.: Half of Beaufort County is reporting so far.

Here's what we've got:

  • Donnie Beer and Mike Sutton are leading for Beaufort City Council
  • Herbert Burnes has a very slim lead over write-in candidate Geri Kinton in School Board District 8
  • Bill Evans has a comfortable lead in School Board District 7
  • Michael Rivers has a comfortable lead in School Board District 5
  • Doug Henderson has a comfortable lead over Joy Logan for treasurer.

You can check out the results here

Update 10:09 p.m.: The governor's race is a dead heat for now, but Haley appears to be pulling away, but that could yet reverse. 

Also, Republicans appear to be domination in most of the other state offices: Lt. Gov., Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller General ... but the Superintendent of Education remains a dead heat. 

We've been filing local Beaufort reports, get them on our election topic page.

Update 10:20 p.m.: The race for governor and House District 2 remain tight, but with conservative Lexington County only at 11% reporting later in the game, that's bad news for the Democrats. 

Update 10:40 p.m: NBC is calling South Carolina for Haley, and the AP is calling House District 2 it for Joe Wilson.

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Update 7:41 a.m.: Just a footnote on turnout, Beaufort County voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms. This year it was 53.7%, and number of registered voters was significantly up from 2006, 96,262 vs 84,830.

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Poll-closing update: We're headed to the time for results (polls start closing at 7). For national results head to The New York Times: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor results, and they even have a nice page for major SC race results. For those from the state get state results here and county-level results here.

We'll still be updating bellow with race-specific updates.


Well this is it, the big day across the nation, South Carolina, and the Beaufort area.

If you're still not sure on how to vote today or need more info on the candidates, check out our roundup from yesterday on how to and roundup on candidate profiles.

Quick links: Live blog, Tweets.

Intro (scroll down for the live part)

We'll be updating here with the most notable information throughout the day. I'll also point you to the #bftvotes and #sc2010 hashtags on Twitter for real-time updates (we've embedded the #bftvotes tag below).

For just outside home coverage, The Post and Courier also has a live blog, and The State has a live blog as well. The Island Packet has an election page, but that doesn't seem to be updated very often.

Results won't start coming in until at least 7 p.m. when the polls begin to close, as they do we'll mention notable updates here. We'll also be pointing you to South Carolina's official vote tally website, where you can get near-real time vote counts (here's a quick link to Beaufort County results). Also, S.C. ETV will be doing a live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

As for national results, I suggest you check out The New York Times' centerpiece graphics on the homepage, they usually have the best online presentations out there.

For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

The upstate U.S. House incumbent John Spratt is one to watch for on a national scale as his seat is battled for as the Republicans try to take 39 House seats to gain control of the chamber. They still need an iffier 10 Senate seats for that chamber.

If you didn't know, Republicans Nikki Haley (governor race), Senator Jim DeMint, and House Rep. Joe Wilson are all favored to win their bids for seats presently held by Republicans.

Live updates

Update 9:50 a.m.: Polls seem to be going well with an apparent respectable turnout, and The Post and Courier is offering up anecdotal evidence that we'll see near-record mid-term turnout. Expect posts to be slower down here until we hit 5 p.m. or so, unless all hell breaks loose. In the meantime, I'll direct you to the Twitter #bftvotes updates below.

Update 10:55 a.m.: Still sounds like things are moving fine in the Beaufort area, but there are reports of voting problems with the electronic machines in Kershaw County near Columbia.

There's also an interesting piece over at The New York Times about how those getting elected now may benefit from an economic recovery already underway. The paper also mentions Nikki Haley.

in part the paper says:"And it’s the politicians who catch the political wave at such fortunate economic moments — particularly governors who get themselves elected during hard times and then preside over the upswing — who tend to establish themselves as folk heroes and turnaround experts, rising to national prominence not just because of their policies but also because of their timing. Which could be very good news for some Republicans like John Kasich, who may yet become Ohio’s next governor, or for an unknown like Nikki Haley, who stands to win in South Carolina." Read their full report here.

Update 11 a.m.: Seeing more notes of high turnout across the country, not just locally.

Update 11:10 a.m.: The New York Times has added a post that details their planned election night coverage and how they'll roll it out starting around 6 p.m. Part of that includes state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's the South Carolina page, while it doesn't off local and Statehouse race info, it's a bit more user friendly than the more detailed state results page from SCVotes.org.

Update 1:30 p.m.: Narrative reporting from around the county is that there are waits as long as 30 minutes to an hour to vote. Definitely not typical for Beaufort County. Some precincts are showing projected turnouts as high if not higher than the 2008 presidential election.

Will be interesting to see total turnout when it's all said and done.

Some word of ballot discrepancies and campaign infractions here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

The Island Packet has filed a mid-day staff report on the election lines and Editor Jeff Kidd has been on the ground going from precinct to precinct. Check it out here.

Update 3:30 p.m.: Turnout appears to remain heavy around the county with voting appearing more inline with a presidential election than a mid-term.

That's a stat we'll watch as results come in. For comparison voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms.

Also, I spotted state Rep.  Shannon Erickson (R) at the Greene Street Gym polling station for Beaufort 2 concerned about voters that were incorrectly getting ballots without her District 124, but District 121 ballots, and vice versa. But candidates for both seats are unopposed.

The Island Packet has updated its mid-day report with some coverage of the split-precinct issue in Beaufort 2. Check it out here.

Update 5:15 p.m.: We're under the 2 hour mark until polling spots start closing. So pick a good watching spot for the results to start coming. -- And on that note I'd like to point out a few links: Get state results here and county-level results here. We'll also be updating this page with bigger wins/leanings.

S.C. ETV will be doinga live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

On a national level The New York Times has many graphics being offered, including their state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's their South Carolina page. For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

Update 5:40 p.m.: As we start to look towards the results, I'd like to point out two more of the Times' graphics for the Senate and House seats that show what seats are in play and which are leaning: House graphicSenate graphic. -- But it doesn't look like those will be updated, for results: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor resultsmajor SC race results

Update 7:55 p.m.: With some long lines some South Carolina polls have had to stay open late and we're just seeing results beginning to trickle in. 

The S.C. site is behind but the N.Y. Times has data coming in already, but less than 1% is reporting at this point.

Update 8:10 p.m.: The Beaufort County Election website now says local results won't be posted until after 9 p.m. And so we wait.

Update 8:20 p.m.: We continue to wait on Beaufort County's results, but statewide they're coming in a bit quicker. With 4% reporting Sheheen leads Haley by a very slim margin and Joe Wilson leads Rob Miller 64-32.

Update 9:15 p.m.:  Here's where we're at. BCgov.net. still has nothing in terms of local returns on its website. Meanwhile the SC Election Commission has half of Beaufort County reporting, but it doesn't update solely local results, only statewide races. Meanwhile, the gov and House District 2 races are neck and neck. And we keep keeping on.

The Island Packet has someone stationed at the Beaufort County Election Office and is reporting Doug Henderson comfortably ahead in the treasurer's race.

Also, the four constitutional questions look likely to pass. The reserve funds have +70% approval, the right to private ballots have 84% approval, and hunting/fishing question has 89% approval. 

Update 9:45 p.m.: Half of Beaufort County is reporting so far.

Here's what we've got:

  • Donnie Beer and Mike Sutton are leading for Beaufort City Council
  • Herbert Burnes has a very slim lead over write-in candidate Geri Kinton in School Board District 8
  • Bill Evans has a comfortable lead in School Board District 7
  • Michael Rivers has a comfortable lead in School Board District 5
  • Doug Henderson has a comfortable lead over Joy Logan for treasurer.

You can check out the results here

Update 10:09 p.m.: The governor's race is a dead heat for now, but Haley appears to be pulling away, but that could yet reverse. 

Also, Republicans appear to be domination in most of the other state offices: Lt. Gov., Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller General ... but the Superintendent of Education remains a dead heat. 

We've been filing local Beaufort reports, get them on our election topic page.

Update 10:20 p.m.: The race for governor and House District 2 remain tight, but with conservative Lexington County only at 11% reporting later in the game, that's bad news for the Democrats. 

Update 10:40 p.m: NBC is calling South Carolina for Haley, and the AP is calling House District 2 it for Joe Wilson.

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Update 7:41 a.m.: Just a footnote on turnout, Beaufort County voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms. This year it was 53.7%, and number of registered voters was significantly up from 2006, 96,262 vs 84,830.

 

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Poll-closing update: We're headed to the time for results (polls start closing at 7). For national results head to The New York Times: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor results, and they even have a nice page for major SC race results. For those from the state get state results here and county-level results here.

We'll still be updating bellow with race-specific updates.


Well this is it, the big day across the nation, South Carolina, and the Beaufort area.

If you're still not sure on how to vote today or need more info on the candidates, check out our roundup from yesterday on how to and roundup on candidate profiles.

Quick links: Live blog, Tweets.

Intro (scroll down for the live part)

We'll be updating here with the most notable information throughout the day. I'll also point you to the #bftvotes and #sc2010 hashtags on Twitter for real-time updates (we've embedded the #bftvotes tag below).

For just outside home coverage, The Post and Courier also has a live blog, and The State has a live blog as well. The Island Packet has an election page, but that doesn't seem to be updated very often.

Results won't start coming in until at least 7 p.m. when the polls begin to close, as they do we'll mention notable updates here. We'll also be pointing you to South Carolina's official vote tally website, where you can get near-real time vote counts (here's a quick link to Beaufort County results). Also, S.C. ETV will be doing a live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

As for national results, I suggest you check out The New York Times' centerpiece graphics on the homepage, they usually have the best online presentations out there.

For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

The upstate U.S. House incumbent John Spratt is one to watch for on a national scale as his seat is battled for as the Republicans try to take 39 House seats to gain control of the chamber. They still need an iffier 10 Senate seats for that chamber.

If you didn't know, Republicans Nikki Haley (governor race), Senator Jim DeMint, and House Rep. Joe Wilson are all favored to win their bids for seats presently held by Republicans.

Live updates

Update 9:50 a.m.: Polls seem to be going well with an apparent respectable turnout, and The Post and Courier is offering up anecdotal evidence that we'll see near-record mid-term turnout. Expect posts to be slower down here until we hit 5 p.m. or so, unless all hell breaks loose. In the meantime, I'll direct you to the Twitter #bftvotes updates below.

Update 10:55 a.m.: Still sounds like things are moving fine in the Beaufort area, but there are reports of voting problems with the electronic machines in Kershaw County near Columbia.

There's also an interesting piece over at The New York Times about how those getting elected now may benefit from an economic recovery already underway. The paper also mentions Nikki Haley.

in part the paper says:"And it’s the politicians who catch the political wave at such fortunate economic moments — particularly governors who get themselves elected during hard times and then preside over the upswing — who tend to establish themselves as folk heroes and turnaround experts, rising to national prominence not just because of their policies but also because of their timing. Which could be very good news for some Republicans like John Kasich, who may yet become Ohio’s next governor, or for an unknown like Nikki Haley, who stands to win in South Carolina." Read their full report here.

Update 11 a.m.: Seeing more notes of high turnout across the country, not just locally.

Update 11:10 a.m.: The New York Times has added a post that details their planned election night coverage and how they'll roll it out starting around 6 p.m. Part of that includes state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's the South Carolina page, while it doesn't off local and Statehouse race info, it's a bit more user friendly than the more detailed state results page from SCVotes.org.

Update 1:30 p.m.: Narrative reporting from around the county is that there are waits as long as 30 minutes to an hour to vote. Definitely not typical for Beaufort County. Some precincts are showing projected turnouts as high if not higher than the 2008 presidential election.

Will be interesting to see total turnout when it's all said and done.

Some word of ballot discrepancies and campaign infractions here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

The Island Packet has filed a mid-day staff report on the election lines and Editor Jeff Kidd has been on the ground going from precinct to precinct. Check it out here.

Update 3:30 p.m.: Turnout appears to remain heavy around the county with voting appearing more inline with a presidential election than a mid-term.

That's a stat we'll watch as results come in. For comparison voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms.

Also, I spotted state Rep.  Shannon Erickson (R) at the Greene Street Gym polling station for Beaufort 2 concerned about voters that were incorrectly getting ballots without her District 124, but District 121 ballots, and vice versa. But candidates for both seats are unopposed.

The Island Packet has updated its mid-day report with some coverage of the split-precinct issue in Beaufort 2. Check it out here.

Update 5:15 p.m.: We're under the 2 hour mark until polling spots start closing. So pick a good watching spot for the results to start coming. -- And on that note I'd like to point out a few links: Get state results here and county-level results here. We'll also be updating this page with bigger wins/leanings.

S.C. ETV will be doinga live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

On a national level The New York Times has many graphics being offered, including their state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's their South Carolina page. For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

Update 5:40 p.m.: As we start to look towards the results, I'd like to point out two more of the Times' graphics for the Senate and House seats that show what seats are in play and which are leaning: House graphicSenate graphic. -- But it doesn't look like those will be updated, for results: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor resultsmajor SC race results

Update 7:55 p.m.: With some long lines some South Carolina polls have had to stay open late and we're just seeing results beginning to trickle in. 

The S.C. site is behind but the N.Y. Times has data coming in already, but less than 1% is reporting at this point.

Update 8:10 p.m.: The Beaufort County Election website now says local results won't be posted until after 9 p.m. And so we wait.

Update 8:20 p.m.: We continue to wait on Beaufort County's results, but statewide they're coming in a bit quicker. With 4% reporting Sheheen leads Haley by a very slim margin and Joe Wilson leads Rob Miller 64-32.

Update 9:15 p.m.:  Here's where we're at. BCgov.net. still has nothing in terms of local returns on its website. Meanwhile the SC Election Commission has half of Beaufort County reporting, but it doesn't update solely local results, only statewide races. Meanwhile, the gov and House District 2 races are neck and neck. And we keep keeping on.

The Island Packet has someone stationed at the Beaufort County Election Office and is reporting Doug Henderson comfortably ahead in the treasurer's race.

Also, the four constitutional questions look likely to pass. The reserve funds have +70% approval, the right to private ballots have 84% approval, and hunting/fishing question has 89% approval. 

Update 9:45 p.m.: Half of Beaufort County is reporting so far.

Here's what we've got:

  • Donnie Beer and Mike Sutton are leading for Beaufort City Council
  • Herbert Burnes has a very slim lead over write-in candidate Geri Kinton in School Board District 8
  • Bill Evans has a comfortable lead in School Board District 7
  • Michael Rivers has a comfortable lead in School Board District 5
  • Doug Henderson has a comfortable lead over Joy Logan for treasurer.

You can check out the results here

Update 10:09 p.m.: The governor's race is a dead heat for now, but Haley appears to be pulling away, but that could yet reverse. 

Also, Republicans appear to be domination in most of the other state offices: Lt. Gov., Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller General ... but the Superintendent of Education remains a dead heat. 

We've been filing local Beaufort reports, get them on our election topic page.

Update 10:20 p.m.: The race for governor and House District 2 remain tight, but with conservative Lexington County only at 11% reporting later in the game, that's bad news for the Democrats. 

Update 10:40 p.m: NBC is calling South Carolina for Haley, and the AP is calling House District 2 it for Joe Wilson.

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Update 7:41 a.m.: Just a footnote on turnout, Beaufort County voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms. This year it was 53.7%, and number of registered voters was significantly up from 2006, 96,262 vs 84,830.

 

 

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Poll-closing update: We're headed to the time for results (polls start closing at 7). For national results head to The New York Times: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor results, and they even have a nice page for major SC race results. For those from the state get state results here and county-level results here.

We'll still be updating bellow with race-specific updates.


Well this is it, the big day across the nation, South Carolina, and the Beaufort area.

If you're still not sure on how to vote today or need more info on the candidates, check out our roundup from yesterday on how to and roundup on candidate profiles.

Quick links: Live blog, Tweets.

Intro (scroll down for the live part)

We'll be updating here with the most notable information throughout the day. I'll also point you to the #bftvotes and #sc2010 hashtags on Twitter for real-time updates (we've embedded the #bftvotes tag below).

For just outside home coverage, The Post and Courier also has a live blog, and The State has a live blog as well. The Island Packet has an election page, but that doesn't seem to be updated very often.

Results won't start coming in until at least 7 p.m. when the polls begin to close, as they do we'll mention notable updates here. We'll also be pointing you to South Carolina's official vote tally website, where you can get near-real time vote counts (here's a quick link to Beaufort County results). Also, S.C. ETV will be doing a live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

As for national results, I suggest you check out The New York Times' centerpiece graphics on the homepage, they usually have the best online presentations out there.

For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

The upstate U.S. House incumbent John Spratt is one to watch for on a national scale as his seat is battled for as the Republicans try to take 39 House seats to gain control of the chamber. They still need an iffier 10 Senate seats for that chamber.

If you didn't know, Republicans Nikki Haley (governor race), Senator Jim DeMint, and House Rep. Joe Wilson are all favored to win their bids for seats presently held by Republicans.

Live updates

Update 9:50 a.m.: Polls seem to be going well with an apparent respectable turnout, and The Post and Courier is offering up anecdotal evidence that we'll see near-record mid-term turnout. Expect posts to be slower down here until we hit 5 p.m. or so, unless all hell breaks loose. In the meantime, I'll direct you to the Twitter #bftvotes updates below.

Update 10:55 a.m.: Still sounds like things are moving fine in the Beaufort area, but there are reports of voting problems with the electronic machines in Kershaw County near Columbia.

There's also an interesting piece over at The New York Times about how those getting elected now may benefit from an economic recovery already underway. The paper also mentions Nikki Haley.

in part the paper says:"And it’s the politicians who catch the political wave at such fortunate economic moments — particularly governors who get themselves elected during hard times and then preside over the upswing — who tend to establish themselves as folk heroes and turnaround experts, rising to national prominence not just because of their policies but also because of their timing. Which could be very good news for some Republicans like John Kasich, who may yet become Ohio’s next governor, or for an unknown like Nikki Haley, who stands to win in South Carolina." Read their full report here.

Update 11 a.m.: Seeing more notes of high turnout across the country, not just locally.

Update 11:10 a.m.: The New York Times has added a post that details their planned election night coverage and how they'll roll it out starting around 6 p.m. Part of that includes state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's the South Carolina page, while it doesn't off local and Statehouse race info, it's a bit more user friendly than the more detailed state results page from SCVotes.org.

Update 1:30 p.m.: Narrative reporting from around the county is that there are waits as long as 30 minutes to an hour to vote. Definitely not typical for Beaufort County. Some precincts are showing projected turnouts as high if not higher than the 2008 presidential election.

Will be interesting to see total turnout when it's all said and done.

Some word of ballot discrepancies and campaign infractions here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

The Island Packet has filed a mid-day staff report on the election lines and Editor Jeff Kidd has been on the ground going from precinct to precinct. Check it out here.

Update 3:30 p.m.: Turnout appears to remain heavy around the county with voting appearing more inline with a presidential election than a mid-term.

That's a stat we'll watch as results come in. For comparison voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms.

Also, I spotted state Rep.  Shannon Erickson (R) at the Greene Street Gym polling station for Beaufort 2 concerned about voters that were incorrectly getting ballots without her District 124, but District 121 ballots, and vice versa. But candidates for both seats are unopposed.

The Island Packet has updated its mid-day report with some coverage of the split-precinct issue in Beaufort 2. Check it out here.

Update 5:15 p.m.: We're under the 2 hour mark until polling spots start closing. So pick a good watching spot for the results to start coming. -- And on that note I'd like to point out a few links: Get state results here and county-level results here. We'll also be updating this page with bigger wins/leanings.

S.C. ETV will be doinga live results webcast starting at 10 p.m.

On a national level The New York Times has many graphics being offered, including their state-by-state pages with breakouts. Here's their South Carolina page. For context, McClatchy has a nice viewers guide to tonight's results on a national scale and what's of significance throughout the night, and what the expected pivotal points are; take a read here.

Update 5:40 p.m.: As we start to look towards the results, I'd like to point out two more of the Times' graphics for the Senate and House seats that show what seats are in play and which are leaning: House graphicSenate graphic. -- But it doesn't look like those will be updated, for results: House resultsSenate resultsgovernor resultsmajor SC race results

Update 7:55 p.m.: With some long lines some South Carolina polls have had to stay open late and we're just seeing results beginning to trickle in. 

The S.C. site is behind but the N.Y. Times has data coming in already, but less than 1% is reporting at this point.

Update 8:10 p.m.: The Beaufort County Election website now says local results won't be posted until after 9 p.m. And so we wait.

Update 8:20 p.m.: We continue to wait on Beaufort County's results, but statewide they're coming in a bit quicker. With 4% reporting Sheheen leads Haley by a very slim margin and Joe Wilson leads Rob Miller 64-32.

Update 9:15 p.m.:  Here's where we're at. BCgov.net. still has nothing in terms of local returns on its website. Meanwhile the SC Election Commission has half of Beaufort County reporting, but it doesn't update solely local results, only statewide races. Meanwhile, the gov and House District 2 races are neck and neck. And we keep keeping on.

The Island Packet has someone stationed at the Beaufort County Election Office and is reporting Doug Henderson comfortably ahead in the treasurer's race.

Also, the four constitutional questions look likely to pass. The reserve funds have +70% approval, the right to private ballots have 84% approval, and hunting/fishing question has 89% approval. 

Update 9:45 p.m.: Half of Beaufort County is reporting so far.

Here's what we've got:

  • Donnie Beer and Mike Sutton are leading for Beaufort City Council
  • Herbert Burnes has a very slim lead over write-in candidate Geri Kinton in School Board District 8
  • Bill Evans has a comfortable lead in School Board District 7
  • Michael Rivers has a comfortable lead in School Board District 5
  • Doug Henderson has a comfortable lead over Joy Logan for treasurer.

You can check out the results here

Update 10:09 p.m.: The governor's race is a dead heat for now, but Haley appears to be pulling away, but that could yet reverse. 

Also, Republicans appear to be domination in most of the other state offices: Lt. Gov., Secretary of State, Attorney General, Comptroller General ... but the Superintendent of Education remains a dead heat. 

We've been filing local Beaufort reports, get them on our election topic page.

Update 10:20 p.m.: The race for governor and House District 2 remain tight, but with conservative Lexington County only at 11% reporting later in the game, that's bad news for the Democrats. 

Update 10:40 p.m: NBC is calling South Carolina for Haley, and the AP is calling House District 2 it for Joe Wilson.

Update 11 p.m.: Mike Sutton and Donnie Beer have retained their seats on Beaufort City Council and on school board Bill Evens, Michael Rivers, and Herbert Burnes have won seats.

In state news Wilson and Haley appear to have their seats locked up.

For more state results tune into this state results page and this Beaufort County page, and head here for national results.

And with that, dear readers, we're going to get some sleep and follow up in the morning.

Update 7:41 a.m.: Just a footnote on turnout, Beaufort County voter turnout was 76% in 2008 for the presidential and 45% for the 2006 mid-terms. This year it was 53.7%, and number of registered voters was significantly up from 2006, 96,262 vs 84,830.