Home WebMail Saturday, November 2, 2024, 02:32 AM | Calgary | -1.1°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2012-10-27T17:57:02Z | Updated: 2012-10-28T18:27:51Z Joanna Jenkins, 108-Year-Old South Carolina Woman, Votes For The Very First Time (VIDEO) | HuffPost

Joanna Jenkins, 108-Year-Old South Carolina Woman, Votes For The Very First Time (VIDEO)

WATCH: 108-Year-Old Votes For The First Time
|

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy

The upcoming election will be significant for many first-time voters. But for one South Carolina woman, the day will be truly memorable as she casts her first vote ever -- at the age of 108.

According to NBC News, Joanna Jenkins, from Beaufort, South Carolina , will finally cast her first vote after being registered as an absentee voter this year.

"She's just excited, she wants to vote this year, we were looking at the election, and as the debates were going on she decided she wants to vote all of a sudden . She just wants to vote, she wants to vote and is excited to vote," her cousin, Shirley Lee told KSDK.

Since Jenkins can't read or write, and does not have a state issued ID, her family didn't think she'd be eligible to vote. However with a little help from her doctor and the Beaufort County Board of Elections, Jenkins is now registered as an absentee voter.

Elections officials say her case is extremely unusual.

"It's incredible, she grew up in a time when Jim Crow laws were fully in effect, and minority voter suppression was the norm, and to vote was a fight not a right . She is a great example to others that it's never too late to vote and you should always exercise your right," Director of Elections Scott Marshall told WCSH.

Which candidate has the 108-year-old's loyalty?

"Obama!!" she told WCSH.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Support HuffPost