South Carolina Daily Gazette

Elections for just over half of South Carolina’s 170 legislative seats will be settled by the end of this month. That’s because 80 incumbents seeking re-election and candidates for six open seats will have no competition at all in November. That’s why it’s so important for voters to participate in next week’s primaries and — for the contests not decided June 11 — the run-offs two weeks later, said Lynn Teague with the state League of Women Voters.

“People who are very angry, who are operating at the extremes, are probably going to vote in that primary,” Teague said. “Whereas somebody sitting at home, mainly concerned about the fact they just had to have their car repaired because of all the potholes, may not pay attention to the fact an election is happening until October."

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For those who want a say in who makes the choices that impact South Carolinians’ day-to-day lives, the primary elections will very likely be their chance. “We are one of the least competitive states in the nation,” said Lynn Teague with the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. ."If you’re wondering why the polling shows South Carolina’s people as a whole are more moderate than what happens at the State House, it’s because at the State House we see legislators responding to that base that votes in the primary. If we had really, really good turnout, all of these predictions could go out the window."

The League is deeply disappointed with today’s Supreme Court ruling that allows our state to move forward with discriminatory maps that divide the political power of Black communities in Charleston County. We believe, without exception, that Black voters in South Carolina deserve justice for our state's historical and continued efforts to disenfranchise them. The League of Women Voters will continue to fight for voters across South Carolina to be fairly represented.

The League of Women Voters of South Carolina is partnering with the South Carolina Election Protection Coalition to monitor polling sites for voter intimidation on June 11, during the Primary election. We need an army, or at least a few good observers! Virtual training provided.