At Orangeburg poll, students see voting as voice

An outpouring of young people was forecast for Tuesday’s midterm elections.

At a local polling place on the South Carolina State University campus at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, here’s what some had to say Tuesday on the question: “What brought you out to vote on this Election Day?”

• Da’Chaniya Stroman 18, freshman, S.C. State biology major: “I believe voting is everyone’s civic duty. Everyone wants to have a say so in how everything is running, and by voting you have a sense of control. So of course, once I turned 18, I’m was going to come and vote. Now I have a voice.”
• Jermaine Jenkins, 21, S.C. State senior theater major: “I vote because it’s basically peaceful protesting. If I don’t like what’s going on, I vote. If I like what’s going on, I still vote so I can keep everything going as it should. If you don’t agree with things going on right now vote, I voice my opinion. You got to wake up and come out and vote.”
• Autumn Dupree, 22, S.C. State junior biology major: “I feel like everyone should get out and vote because everyone should have an opinion. If you don’t vote, then you don’t have and opinion, so the choice will be made for you. Which may cause you not to like the outcome. Then you want to complain. At least if you vote, you have the right to complain.”
• Blaire Windom, 21, Claflin University senior music major: “I know it’s important to vote. I’m just exercising my rights. It’s a shame I don’t see a lot of people coming out. I know it’s early, but I still expected more people. I think because Claflin didn’t cancel classes, that’s why a lot of people aren’t out right now voting.”
• Gary Copeland, 21, senior at S.C. State majoring in family consumer science and business: “If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice. If you don’t have a voice, you can’t be heard. If you can’t be heard, there won’t be a change.”
• Charles McCray, facilities coordinator/liaison at S.C. State: “In order to grow, you have to change and voting changes things. So if we as people want to see growth in our community and in the country, you must come out and vote. Like I said, you don’t grow unless you change, and voting is a way of changing things. Your vote is a way of changing things. So many people say voting doesn’t matter. But that’s not true. Your vote does matter when you vote your changing your community and making a change in the world.