West Ashley 2012 Election Results: The Votes Are In

Updated results: If you don't see results above, or you're on a mobile device, please click this link.

The results above are for Charleston County and may not include a multi-county district. They do not include absentee ballots that may be counted later tonight or Wednesday morning, according to Charleston County election officials.

5:20 p.m.: Lines are starting to stack up again at polling places. More than 70 percent have voted at the Charleston Tennis Center in precinct 6. More than 62 percent turnout at W.L. Stephens Aquatic Center in precincts 3 and 9.

4 p.m.: Democrats at the West Ashley headquarters are spending Election Day making get out the vote phone calls.

1:50 p.m.: Turnout at CE Williams Middle School has passed the halfway point: 54.4 percent so far. Longest wait when the polls opened was about 90 minutes. No line now.

1:25 p.m.: Definitely a lunch-time lull. No waiting for St. Andrews precincts 28 and 37 at Grace on the Ashley Baptist Church. Total turnout so far nearing 30 percent. Longest wait was about 45 minutes according to poll workers, although people were already lined up when the poll workers arrived around 5:30 a.m.

1:15 p.m.: Nearing 50 percent at Drayton Hall Middle School precincts, but lines are shrinking all over. After 5 p.m., voting is going to be brutal.

12:20 p.m.: Looks like there's a lunch-time lull, at least at the Jewish Community Center line is down to a few dozen people and moving swiftly.

12:15 p.m.: Charleston County Elections Director Joe Debney says no problems to report. There had been reports early Tuesday of power out in Ladson, but Debney noted that the voting machines have battery power if something like that impacts a polling place.

11:50 a.m.: Some voters in shifting precincts sent to new polling places in St. Andrews.

11:15 a.m.: Charleston County GOP chair Lin Bennett tells Patch that she's been very pleased with Election Day so far. There have been a handful of issues for voters, but overall, it's been running smooth today. "It's quieter now than four years ago," she said.

11 a.m.: Long lines everywhere today. It wraps around the building at the Charleston Masonic Lodge. Wait was only about 40 minutes though.

10:40 a.m.: We talked to a voter leaving the polls who voted for Obama, but left more than 75 percent of the ballot blank. "I wasn't familiar with the local candidates so I wasn't going to vote for someone just because I saw their sign on the road," he said. He also voted "no" on the Constitutional amendment.

He wasn't alone. Theresa Klapperich tells Patch, "I skipped most of the school board ballot lines. I don't have kids anyway and I was not familiar enough with all the candidates to make an informed decision."

10:30 a.m.: More than 2,500 have voted so far at Porter-Gaud. "I voted for Obama, but my husband and I cancel each other out," one woman said.

10 a.m.: Only took two hours to get through the line and vote today. At least that means the turn out is strong, and the line at Stono Park was inside so we didn't have to wait outside in the rain. —Jonathan

8:30 a.m.: In a very long line at Stono Elementary. Parking was a nightmare. 

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When you’re done voting, leave it right here throughout the day as Patch will provide minute-by-minute updates for the races that matter to you.

Election Guide

Today is Election Day. West Ashley voters face a slew of choices. Here’s a look at what to expect:

Note sure where to vote? Click HERE.

Track State and Federal races HERE.

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Local Elections

State Senate

Senate District 41

With two lawsuits filed against the only Republican and Democratic candidates for the S.C. Senate District 41 race, no one was sure exactly how that ballot would shape up in November, but the state level lawsuits have finally been settled.

Three Republican candidates and a Democratic one were removed from the ballot following the S.C. Supreme Court's decisions in the spring that created the ballot mess. GOP candidate Paul Thurmond argued unsuccessfully he was exempt from the filing requirements highlighted in the Supreme Court decisions, and was ruled ineligible by a Circuit Court judge in August, more than two months after he secured the nomination in the regular primary.

But he got a second shot at the seat when the same judge ordered the county Republican Party to hold a new primary, which Thurmond also won.

Democrat Paul Tinkler managed to register as a candidate properly back in March and has remained on the ballot throughout the controversy surrounding the race.

Then yet another lawsuit was filed in the case, this time in federal court claiming the second primary violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act. A 3-judge panel will hear initial arguments in the case on Oct. 16.

Candidates Wally Burbage and Walter Hundley tried but failed to get on the ballot as a petition candidate — though Burbage and Hundley did get to take part in the second primary.

House District 114

A successful petition candidate is John Steinberger, who is running against S.C. House Speaker Bobby Harrell for House District 114. Steinberger was initially tossed from the S.C. Senate 41 race and decided to run for the House seat because he didn't like that Harrell, who has recently come under fire for campaign finance issues, was not facing opposition as Larry Carter Center was also knocked off of the Democratic ballot in the race. Carter does remain the nominee of the Green Party for the House 114 race though and will appear on the ballot.

Charleston County Council

Meanwhile at least one decertified candidate in Charleston County isn't taking her removal from the ballot lying down, Carolyn Hughes spent primary election day gathering signatures for her petition campaign to get back on the November ballot for Charleston County Council District 6.

Hughes was one of over 100 petition candidates that will appear on the ballots that West Ashley voters see on Election Day. She faces incumbent Councilman Vic Rawl (D-Charleston) for the seat.

Charleston County Sheriff

Charleston County Sheriff candidate Anthony Whisenant collected signatures to be a petition candidate, but fell short of the number needed to appear on the ballot along with former

Charleston County Auditor

The race for Charleston County Auditor is one of the few other competitive local races. Democrat Peter Tecklenberg and Republican Paul Gawrych both managed to avoid being removed from the ballot. Tecklenberg also avoided a primary when the only other Democrat in the race was decertified. Gawrych was able to defeat incumbent Auditor Peggy Mosely in a Republican primary for the position.

Charleston County School Board

Five candidates are vying for two West Ashley seats on the Charleston County Consolidated School Board. Both seats will be elected at-large, meaning that the two candidates with the highest number of votes among those five will get the seats. Candidates are: John W. Barter, III; Henry

Unopposed Races

Thanks in part to the ballot mess, and in part to lack of interest, several races on November's ballot will be uncontested, leaving the incumbent, or lone certified candidates as the all-but-assured winners.

Appearing on West Ashley area ballots unopposed will be Al Cannon - Charleston County Sheriff; Julie Armstrong - Charleston County Clerk of Court; Rae Wooten - Charleston County Coroner; Andrew C. Smith - Charleston County Treasurer; Colleen Condon - Charleston County Council District 7; Mickey Floyd - Soil and Water District Commission; Chris Fraser - Charleston County Consolidated School Board (to fill an unexpired term); Rodney Lynn Lewis - Charleston County Constituent School Board District 10; and Christopher W. Perot - St. Andrews Public Service District.