PICKENS — Voters in and around Clemson University carried the day for Barack Obama in Pickens County Democratic Party polling Saturday.

Unlike statewide, where Obama won by a large margin over both Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, the Illinois senator needed heavy support from the university community to claim a close victory over the hometown Edwards and a cleary popular Clinton.

Countywide, Obama finished with 2,901 votes (35.1 percent) to 2,811 for Edwards (34 percent) and 2,526 for Clinton (30.5 percent).

However, in the university area (Clemson, Central and Six Mile), 11 of 13 precincts went to Obama, and the other two went for Edwards.

Edwards made four campaign swings through Pickens and Oconee Counties and those appearances, as well as national campaign advertising that touted Seneca as his home town, paid off for the former vice presidential candidate. Edwards carried most of the rural precincts, including Praters Creek, Mountainview, Holly Spring, Oumpkintown, Glassy Mountain, Cedar Rock and Flat Rock. He also carried both Liberty precincts and split the four Pickens precincts with Obama.

Edwards finished first in Easley, with Clinton taking second. Clinton, on the other hand, carried the Skelton area, with Edwards finishing second.

A total of 8.180 ballots were cast, 14.9 percent of the total registered electorate in Pickens County.