By EFE
03 Feb 2024, 18:00 PM EST
South Carolina Democrats went to the polls this Saturday with the clear purpose of supporting US President Joe Biden in the party primaries, although two feelings stood out in the background: aversion towards Republican Donald Trump and concern about the economy.
The vote in favor of Biden this Saturday was also an expression of rejection of Trump, who was not on the ballot because it was a Democratic Party primary, but who is running as a favorite to be the Republican candidate in the November elections.
South Carolina inaugurated this Saturday the Democratic primary process, in which Biden is assured of victory although he faces the challenge of demonstrating that he is still capable of mobilizing the party’s base, especially African-American voters.
One of the keys to assessing enthusiasm for Biden will be the turnout numbers. At the voting center located at the Eau Claire Institute in Columbia, the state capital, participation remained “constant” throughout the day, the person in charge of that position, Rosalyn Shaw, explained to EFE.
From the opening of the voting centers at 7:00 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT) until 12:00 p.m. local time, about 120 people came to vote at the Eau Claire Institute, figures that remain in line with other occasions, he explained.
Biden’s “excellent work”
Deborah Seawright, a 68-year-old African American and former teacher of children with disabilities, went to that polling station, who showed up to vote wearing a striking leopard shirt.
In statements to EFE, Seawright praised the “excellent job” that Biden has done since he arrived at the White House in January 2021 and said she was proud that he, a “family man,” represents the United States.
In contrast, when asked about Trump, she was more critical: “First of all, he has done many things that are inappropriate and ethically questionable with respect to the United States. It has neither been fair nor honest. And we don’t need a leader like that.”
Many voters, when asked by EFE, expressed ideas similar to those of Seawright. They agreed that they went to the polls driven by their rejection of Trump and concern about the economy, despite the fact that the unemployment rate remains at 3.7% and inflation stands at 3.4%.
An elderly electorate
Voters who showed up at Eau Claire High School, located in a middle-class neighborhood, were mostly older African Americans.
In general, older African Americans tend to be more loyal to Democrats than younger people because they remember how that party, under the leadership of then-presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, supported the civil rights movement in the decade of the 60s.
Young people, like Sakal Fourir, 26, do not remember those times and are more concerned about other issues such as health, the economy and, as he himself stated, that new generations can access a better future.
“I came here to vote so that everyone has a positive life in the future. We do it for our families and for the children who are growing up in this world, so that they can live successfully and shine in their future,” said Fourir, who attended Eau Claire High School accompanied by his grandparents.
The voting centers will close at 7:00 p.m. Shortly after, the media screenings will begin and it is possible that the first results will arrive within a few minutes.
Keep reading:
• Why is Joe Biden assured of victory in this Saturday’s primary in South Carolina?
• Trump maintains favoritism over Nikki Haley in South Carolina, her home state, after a recent poll
• Who are the two Democrats challenging Joe Biden for the presidential nomination?