Well, that was impressive: Nearly 1.6 million South Carolina residents – more than 45% of registered voters – cast an early or absentee ballot. Now it’s time to see what the rest of you can do. The polls are open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The lines shouldn’t be bad. If so, it’s because we had an unimaginably high turnout, and besides, the wait is a small price to pay, whether your candidates win or lose, for living in the greatest country in the world.

Here’s a quick summary of The Post and Courier’s recommendations. We have links to the full recommendations at postandcourier.com/opinion.

• Ninth Circuit Attorney: Republican Scarlett Wilson is a person of integrity with a solid record of impartial prosecutions who has been instrumental in helping our state correct problems in the criminal justice system, from a filing system that underprivileges prosecutors contributed to a judicial selection system that gave too much to a handful of lawyer-legislators. She has a record that few prosecutors can match when it comes to addressing racial issues in the criminal justice system, and she rightly notes that an attorney must work with, but also be independent of, police to provide the necessary oversight to assure; her opponent says he should be elected because he has been a police officer.

• SC Senate District 41: Rita Adkins is a Democratic candidate, but her opponent is outside the mainstream on guns and abortion and, even more disturbing, has an in-your-face approach to politics and life that we don’t need in the Legislature ; There have been too many accusations of illegal hotheadedness to be dismissed as misunderstandings. The only way to pull Republicans back from the extreme when they nominate unacceptable candidates is to elect Democrats who are less extreme, as Ms. Adkins appears to be.

• SC Senate District 43: Republican Chip Campsen has a deep and abiding commitment to our natural environment and the seniority, knowledge and expertise to translate that into law year after year. A close second in importance is his consistent record of challenging his own party – a practice that has led his party to a better position in a fair number of cases – and his willingness to work across the aisle, even if not necessary. , to increase public support for important initiatives.

• Charleston County SheriffRepublican Carl Ritchie’s record of leading the Mount Pleasant Police Department to two Gold Standard reaccreditations is impressive, as is his more recent tenure on the City Council. He has looked at law enforcement from both the administrative and policy funding sides and developed a broader perspective while also building relationships with other local public safety leaders who are a critical part of the job. His experience and plans make him the better choice to recruit qualified deputies and turn around a trouble-ridden prison.

• Treasurer of Charleston County: Democrat Mary Tinkler has done an excellent job over the past eight years; her opponent either doesn’t understand that this is a purely ministerial position or thinks the voters are too stupid to know that. We don’t normally endorse these non-policy positions that shouldn’t be elected, but we have no choice when a challenger seems incompetent to get the job done.

• Charleston County Council District 3Democrat Rob Wehrman helped create the county’s new housing trust fund, was instrumental in protecting the county’s historic African American settlement communities and was a wise vote against the proposed sales tax referendum would result in spending an excessive amount of money on a single controversial project to extend Interstate 526 to Johns and James Islands.

• Charleston County School Board District 2: Carolina Jewett feels like a bit of a candidate, but her positions are sensible, she favors more transparency and collaboration, and the incumbent president she is challenging has been the most problematic member of the school board, drawing a censure from the board for making implied threats against a teacher and doing nothing to overcome that disqualifying episode.

• Charleston County School Board District 4: Craig Logan is seeking the only open seat, against a twice-defeated former school board member. We have increased confidence in Mr. Logan, who brings a broad range of experience in grassroots organizing, governance and community engagement, including policy advocacy at the state and local levels, and who is committed to doing of public affairs in public, except when state law requires secrecy.

• Charleston County School Board District 6: Daron Calhoun was the voice of reason in a minority faction that too often poured fuel on the fire of the majority. He has focused on three key messages: stop conducting public affairs in secret, trust the professionals and don’t micromanage.

• Charleston County School Board District 8: Michelle Faust, who has spent 12 years volunteering on school improvement boards, mission-critical committees and similar organizations that work within schools to improve them, would provide a refreshing change of tone. She’s not out to make sure one faction wins, she’s out to make sure the kids win. “I have experience in bringing people together,” she says. “It is a skill to listen to the views of people who may not align with yours or with whom you may not agree.” She could have added that it is a skill that too few people want to have.

• Charleston County Transportation Tax. We recommend voting “no” on both questions because the council’s only priority is to build the overpriced I-526 extension, which will not solve our traffic congestion problem and further development on Johns and James Islands will accelerate, degrade the environment and continue to slow down. efforts that will actually reduce congestion. And a lot of other reasons.

• Statewide Constitutional Amendment. The question is intended to prevent people who are not U.S. citizens from voting in South Carolina, but that is already prohibited. We recommend voting “no” to send a message to the legislature to stop playing games with our Constitution.

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