Clemson’s Swinney tried to vote but couldn’t on Election Day

CLEMSON — It’s Election Day in the United States, but Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney’s vote won’t count until Friday.

Swinney said he tried voting Tuesday morning in Pickens County, South Carolina, but a poll worker informed him he already voted via an early ballot. Swinney, who prefers to vote on Election Day than do early voting, said he didn’t vote and thought the No. 17 Tigers’ 33-21 loss to Louisville on Saturday impacted his standing.

‘I’m like, ‘Dang, they done voted me out the state,” Swinney jokingly said at Tuesday’s regular news conference. ‘We’re 6-2, 5-1 (in the ACC), and they done shipped me off.’

Swinney said the mix-up happened because Swinney’s oldest son, William Swinney, early voted last week, and the polls counted his ballot as the Tigers’ coach as both share the same first name. Dabo Swinney thought his 2024 election experience would take 10 minutes, but he was there for about an hour.

Swinney said he had to complete a paper ballot and added he and his son’s vote should be counted on Friday after a hearing.

‘I don’t know if it will matter on Friday,’ Swinney said. ‘Trying to do my best and be a good citizen and go vote, and sometimes doing your best ain’t good enough, but you keep going though and keep figuring it out.’

Millions of Americans will vote Tuesday to elect the next president of the United States between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. In South Carolina, 1.5 million people voted during two weeks of early voting

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00