Here's how South Carolina groups plan to add more voters to registration rolls

Volunteers with 15 groups seeking to boost voter turnout have begun fanning out across 27 low-turnout precincts in Spartanburg city and county in hopes of adding more voters to the registration rolls.

Their goal is to add more than 7,000 voters to make up for some of the people who were removed from the rolls over the last few years.

Elections Director Adam Hammons said that on Nov. 1, the day before the Nov. 2, 2021, general election, the county had a total of 208,617 registered voters. As of this week starting on Sep. 19, there were 201,332 registered voters, he said. That's 7,285 fewer voters.

Currently, there are 3,361,613 registered voters in South Carolina, 201,591 fewer than on Nov. 1, 2021, when there were 3,563,204 registered voters, Hammons said.

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The number of inactive voters is higher the last two years when 13,974 Spartanburg County Voters were removed from the rolls and made inactive or archived via the statewide biannual "confirmation mailing process," Hammons said.

"These are voters that have not voted, updated their address, or had any contact with our office in four years," Hammons said. "These voters are mailed a card asking them to confirm their registration and the state processes these voters based on the response or lack of from each voter."

Charles Mann, who is participating with the Spartanburg Get Out the Vote (GOTV) coalition, which represents 15 nonpartisan organizations, is coordinating the effort to register new voters and boost turnout.

"We have to replace those (7,285) voters (removed from the voter rolls)," Mann said. "I think we can make a big dent, but replacing 7,000 is aspirational."

He said teams of volunteers will go door to door in precincts that have traditionally posted low-turnout numbers. There are 98 precincts countywide (including the city), and 27 of them were identified as key to boosting registration numbers.

With voter registration forms and ID on hand, volunteers will knock on doors. If no one answers, they will hang a voter information card on the door handle, he said.

Mann said the canvassing will focus on "registering (those) who have not voted before, including college students, new residents and high schoolers."

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The national NAACP is also planning to send out direct mailers in Spartanburg, Mann said.

Mann said those who already are registered are urged to check their current information on file with the State Election Commission to make sure they know their correct precinct.

During the county's recent redistricting process, lines of precincts were redrawn and some addresses ended up in a new precinct. County Council approved the new maps in March.

The city is about to start its redistricting process. City Council on Monday agreed to hold a work session at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. A schedule of the process and when a final vote may come has not been developed yet, according to Mann.

Mann said he doesn't believe Spartanburg voters are disenfranchised.

"While I am deeply concerned about efforts to disenfranchise voters across the country and our state, in this moment, I am more concerned about low voter turnout," he said.  "Because low voter turnout enables the disenfranchisement of voters. It means the potential election of candidates to office who further the cause of restricting voters, it enhances the cause of creating barriers to voting because people are not voting."

The precincts that will be canvassed include: C.C. Woodson, Jesse Bobo Elementary, Roebuck Elementary, Holy Communion, Cleveland Elementary, Park Hills Elementary, Mt. Moriah Baptist, Travelers Rest Baptist, Swofford Career Center, Powell Saxon Una, Woodland Heights, Wellford, E.P. Todd Elementary and Cedar Grove Baptist.

Also, Boiling Springs Elementary, Boiling Springs Intermediate, Boiling Springs 9th Grade Campus, Colley Springs Baptist, Anderson Mill Elementary, Bethany Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, Southside Baptist, Fairforest Middle, Hendrix Elementary, Cornerstone Baptist, Hayne Baptist and Chapman High School.

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Mann said many voters don't bother to vote because they believe "their vote doesn't count, that nothing will change and they don't have the time (to vote). They also don't know who to vote for. We have to figure out how to let them know their vote counts."

One example where every vote counts is a 2019 City Council race that ended in a tie, he said.

District 1 City Councilwoman Meghan Smith tied incumbent Councilman Sterling Anderson in the 2019 election. Each had 351 votes. In the runoff, Smith won by a margin of  335 votes to 306 votes.

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Mann said voter turnout is particularly low in mid-term and in off-year elections. In the 2021 municipal election, statewide turnout averaged 10.9%. In Spartanburg County, turnout was 10% − just 20,896 ballots were cast out of 208,643 registered voters.

In the June 2022 primary, turnout averaged 17% statewide and was just 12.3% in Spartanburg County.

"You shouldn't want to be in a democracy where 17% decides for 83% of us," Mann said.

Voter registration rally in Spartanburg

The effort to boost turnout kicked off Tuesday with a Voter Registration Rally at Morgan Square in Spartanburg.

"It's a two-step process," Mann said. "You've got to register, then take 15 minutes out of your day to vote (on Election Day)."

The rally was part of National Voter Registration Month when civic groups across South Carolina and the nation canvass neighborhoods and hold rallies to boost voter participation.

Rallies were held in Anderson County by the League of Women Voters and the United Way of Anderson County, and in Greenville by the Greenville NAACP, League of Women Voters of Greenville County, Greenville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and Public Education Partners of Greenville.

The nonpartisan organizations that comprise Spartanburg Get Out the Vote Coalition are: Upstate Action Alliance, League of Women Voters of Spartanburg County, West Spartanburg NAACP, Spartanburg County NAACP, Scholar Connections, Rebuilding the Southside, Liberty Heights Neighborhood Association, Spartanburg County Baptist Association and College Park Neighborhood Association.

Also, Spartanburg Initiative for Racial Equity Now, PLFAG Spartanburg, Spartanburg Divine 9 Fraternities and Sororities, Unitarian Universalist Church of Spartanburg, Alianza Spartanburg and South Converse Neighborhood Association.

Speakers explain importance of voting

At Tuesday's rally, several speakers, including 17-year-old Jacqueline Perez Bravo and 18-year-old Mayraivett Santiago Cedillo of South Carolina High School Democrats, talked about the importance of voting.

"I've only been on this Earth for 18 years," Santiago said. "For my entire life, I've only known two things to be certain. One is that my parents love me. And two, that South Carolina will always be red. However, being part of the next generation of voters, I want to change that.

"That's why I'm here today," she added. "To register voters and to help change the future, making your voice be heard and voting for people that have the same values as you. The right to vote is a privilege. We need to use it."

LeRoy Madison of West Spartanburg NAACP and Leonard Starks of Spartanburg Divine 9 Fraternities and Sororities said African-Americans have long faced obstacles to voting and must continue the fight to remove them.

"Our rights are only valid until the next election," Madison said. "This is not a time for any of us to sit back and let those dictate what's not in our best interest."

Voting registration deadline approaching

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 8 general election is Sunday, Oct. 9, according to the S.C. State Election Commission.

The form can be found online at scVOTES.gov and must be completed and returned to the county voter registration office. In Spartanburg County, the office is located at 366 N. Church St., lower level, Suite 1630, Spartanburg.By mail, the returned form must be postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 11.

The deadline to register in person at the county voter registration office is Friday, Oct. 7.

Early voting is an option

There are two weeks of early voting, from Monday, Oct. 24, to Saturday, Nov. 5. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

There are three places in Spartanburg County voters can cast their votes early:

≻ Spartanburg County Administration Building, Conference Room 6, 366 N. Church St.;

≻ Spartanburg; Boiling Springs Library, 871 Double Bridge Road, Boiling Springs;

≻ Woodruff Library, 270 E. Hayne St., Woodruff.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all precincts countywide.

For more information on how to register, how to vote and who's on the ballot, the League of Women Voters has a website, VOTE411.org.

For more links with voting brochures, go the S.C. Election Commission's link.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC groups plan to add more voters to registration rolls. Here's how