Woman, 108, voting in her first election

• Tweet

BEAUFORT, S.C., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A 108-year-old South Carolina woman, participating in her first election, has decided to vote for President Barack Obama.

Arinethia Ferguson, 43, said her cousin, Joanna Jenkins, 108, of Beaufort, has never voted and resisted registering to vote prior to previous elections. But during this election season, "she just got kind of [got] carried away with wanting to vote," The (Hilton Head, S.C.) Island Packet reported Tuesday.

"Every time she sees President Obama on television, she really gets excited," Ferguson said.

Ferguson said Jenkins had feared she would not be able to vote because she does not read or write and lacks a state-issued ID card. However, elections officials said the recently passed voter ID law will not apply to this year's general election and Jenkins' doctor offered to assist her with the registration process.

Ferguson said she helped her cousin fill out an absentee ballot by reading her the options for each office.

"She really didn't draw any interest other than hearing Obama's name," Ferguson said.