2004

As some voters tire of the campaign ads, the presidential debates and the media coverage, there's a small but influential group relishing the chance to gather facts before casting what could be the deciding votes for president.

Locally, undecided voters - such as those who posed questions in Friday's presidential debate - are represented by members of both political parties in this Republican-heavy state. Voters are waiting on clear-cut policy descriptions or new findings about President Bush and Sen. John Kerry before they commit to supporting either man for president.

"Things can continue to happen that could change my vote. There's still information coming in," said undecided voter Carolyn McBride. "Sometimes what you hear in the debates is what they clarify later."

Analysts say these voters could determine the outcome of the presidential election and influence the state and local elections.

"We're talking about less than 10 percent, we're talking about 6 to 7 percent of the vote that's still out," said Paul Peterson, political science professor at Coastal Carolina University.

Recent polls put the candidates within just a few points of each other - few enough for that 6 percent or 7 percent to make a difference.

"Because they're undecided and haven't made a commitment yet, they may not get to the polls and vote," said Laura Woliver, political science and women's studies professor at the University of South Carolina.

Joan Fitzpatrick, 51, plans to vote in November for the first time, but she said she finds it difficult to understand what the candidates plan to do if elected.

"They're not focused on now. They're focused on what happened 30 years ago," she said. "They're losing sight. It's not about them; it's about the United States."

Traditionally, undecided voters bode well for the challenger.

"The conventional wisdom would be that it's Kerry's vote to win," Peterson said. "They obviously know Bush - he's the incumbent. If a voter at this point is undecided ... it means they're obviously not sold on Bush."

Angelina Myers, 26, said she still is deciding which candidate she can trust. She is looking for integrity because she said the candidates may say one thing but do another.

In such a divisive election, the number of undecided voters is unusual, even though it is small, analysts say.

"The negative campaigning is not new; the animosities aren't new; the fact that the 2000 election was decided in such a controversial way is new," Woliver said. "People are echoing their anxiety about how the 2000 election was handled."

Although Bush is likely to win South Carolina, the undecided voters could influence the state and local races, Peterson said.

"The perception of a big Bush victory in South Carolina may decrease the voter turnout" and allow the people who do vote to determine state elections, he said.

Darryl Davis, 21, is undecided, in part because he stands with both of the major political parties on some issues.

"During the [vice presidential] debate, I felt that when Edwards was talking ... Cheney had really good counteraction with the facts," he said.

However, he disagrees with the Republicans on the war. "We're losing soldiers every day, so I'm for pulling out."