Here's how Greenville nonprofits are working together to increase turnout among young voters

A coalition of non-partisan organizations around the Upstate are banding together to encourage voter registration ahead of this year's municipal elections and the 2024 presidential cycle.

Members of local branches of the NAACP, League of Women Voters, National Pan Hellenic Council of Greater Greenville and National Council of Negro Women said they're focused on providing eligible high school and college students the pathway to participate in the electoral process.

The groups held a press conference, Wednesday, Sept. 6, to spotlight National Voter Registration Month. Tuesday, Sept. 19, is National Voter Registration Day.

South Carolina law permits minors to register for the upcoming election cycle if they will be 18-years-old on or before election day. This year's municipal elections will be held, Tuesday, Nov. 7. The 2024 general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 5.

A community-wide registration drive will be held Tuesday, Sept. 19 at Greenville County Square. The coalition will also be hosting registration campaigns at local high schools.

Annika Krovi, 16, a J.L. Mann High School student and a Greenville County Democratic Party intern, was in downtown Greenville Wednesday morning when she learned she could register for next year's general election.

"I'm pretty politically aware and pretty involved, but I still wasn't sure when I could officially register to vote because I'm 16 right now, but I'll be 18 before the next election," Krovi said.

Next year's elections and the campaign to educate voters also marked a personal triumph for Krovi whose grandparents from India recently became U.S. citizens after an arduous wait.

"It was quite an honor for me to kind of walk them through that process and help them get prepared and get their citizenship," she said. "And they also recently just became registered voters. So, it's really exciting. Now, all three of us are registered, and we'll be able to vote together."

While the 2024 general election may generate more hype, Susan Bell, president of Greenville's chapter of League of Women Voters, said voters need to be just as aware about local elections.

"These local elections often get little attention, and they typically also get much lower turnout than other elections. But the people who will be representing voters in local positions like city council are going to be making some decisions that impact people most — about public safety, housing, transportation, and much more," Bell said.

Here's what to know about upcoming elections in Greenville County

In Greenville County, 6 municipalities — Greenville, Mauldin, Travelers Rest, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn and Greer, will be up for elections.

Residents need to register at least 30 days prior to any election in order to be able to vote in that election. The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 7 municipal election is Sunday, Oct. 6, according to the S.C. State Election Commission.

Much like last year, similar efforts are underway in other counties such as Spartanburg and Pickens. Civil Rights groups are also hoping to expand voter resources to underrepresented voters in minority communities.

"Unfortunately, it remains true both in our nation and in Greenville that many of our substantially Black communities have lower voter registration rates and lower voter participation rates compared to the population as a whole," said Rev. Emanuel Flemming, President of the Greenville NAACP.

Nikki Williams, president of Greenville NCNW said the coalition also wanted to reach returning voters who may have previously been incarcerated and have served the entire sentence, including probation and parole, or received a pardon.

"Every vote counts," Williams said.

How to register to vote in SC

Eligible voters can register online at scVOTES.gov with a South Carolina Driver's License or DMV ID. Voters can also sign a registration form and return it to their county voter registration office. Those who may have moved and changed addresses must update their information. Voters who have moved to a new county need to re-register to vote in that county as a "new registration."

For other changes to name and address within the same county, voters can make changes online at scVOTES.gov or use the registration application form.

Devyani Chhetri covers SC politics for the Greenville News. You can reach her at dchhetri@gannett.com or @ChhetriDevyani on X.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SC groups are kicking off campaigns to increase voter registration