We take action to defend democracy!
Actions for the week of 10.20.2025
Thanks to everyone who contributed items this week! We rely on your input to keep the information flowing.
Please share this with your friends.
Send your ideas for action items to: cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com
We rely on your input for these items!
These are just suggestions of actions you could take as an individual. If you are a League member, always remember to express your personal views, and not to speak on behalf of the League.Only League Presidents or designees can speak on behalf of the League.
"A small act is worth a million throughts."
— Al WEIWEI
Local-Level Actions
ACTION 1: Thanks to all who showed their support at the No Kings 2 Rally.
Report from nokings.org “In one of the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history, nearly seven million Americans gathered today, 2 million more than June, in over 2,700 cities and towns for the No Kings Day of Peaceful Action, standing together in nonviolent defiance of authoritarianism and affirming that this nation belongs to its people, not to kings.”
This is a TikTok video of the Seneca protest. It is amazing, but watch with the sound off if you are offended by inappropriate language.
From The State, Columbia SC: “Throngs of protesters descended on the state capitol grounds Saturday Oct. 18 to protest Gov. Donald Trump at a “No Kings’ rally. The rally was one of many held around the country." Sammy Fretwell/The State
“Another speaker, S.C. League of Women Voters official Lynn Teague, criticized the practice of gerrymandering, by which Republican majorities in the S.C. House and Senate have severely limited Democratic representation to far less than the 40 percent or more of them who make up the state electorate.”
ACTION 2: How do we continue the MOMENTUM from the No Kings Rally?
Sponsored by Indivisible.org: “Join us on Tuesday night at 8pm ET/5pm PT for a mass call of movement leaders and activists to discuss what’s next.”
Action 3: ATTEND meetings of your local government and stay informed on local issues.
LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.
- Monday, October 20: Pickens County Council Mid-Month meeting in the Main Conference Room of the Administration Facility, 222 McDaniel Avenue Pickens, SC 29671 at 6:30 pm. Here are links to their 2025 Council Meeting Calendar, Pickens County Calendar, and to the agenda and minutes and videos.
- Monday, October 20: City of Clemson Council meeting held at Council Chambers, Clemson City Hall, 1250 Tiger Blvd # 1, Clemson, SC 29631 at 6:30 pm unless otherwise noted. Find the 2025 calendar.
- Tuesday, October 21: Oconee County Council meeting in the County Council Chambers located at 415 South Pine Street, Walhalla, SC at 6 pm. Here are links to the Calendar, agenda and minutes and videos of past county council meetings.
ACTION 4: JOIN us for the LWVOP Monthly Program. Public welcome! Bring a friend.
Tuesday, October 21, 4 pm
United Methodist Church of Clemson, 300 Frontage Road, Clemson, Third building on the right.
"Your County, Your Voice: A Citizen's Guide" with Ken Roper, Pickens County Administrator, and Claiborne Linvill, Pickens County Councilperson.
ACTION 5: POLL OBSERVER TRAINING
October 23 and 30 at 7pm.
Here's a more reasonable way to volunteer for those who can’t work an entire day at the polls. Volunteer to be a poll observer. Your job is critical to making sure the right to vote is protected. Sign up for virtual training and spend a few hours at one or two polling places recording what you see. Please share this with your friends and family. If you know any members of Delta Theta Sigma, please share with them as well. The LWVSC is a member of the SC Election Protection Coalition which is sponsoring this effort.
ACTION 6: ATTEND Central Town Council and Mayor Candidate Forum.
October 23
LWVOP Members contact spurlock.pat [at] gmail.com (subject: Seneca%20Candidate%20Forum, body: ) (Pat )spurlock.pat [at] gmail.com (subject: Central%20Town%20Council%20Candidate%20Forum, body: ) (Spurlock)spurlock.pat [at] gmail.com (subject: Seneca%20Candidate%20Forum, body: ) ( )to volunteer.
ACTION 7: Save the Date: Friends of the Library Advocacy Meeting
Tuesday, October 28, 6 pm
Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library – Easley Meeting Room, 304 Biltmore Road, Easley
This will be an opportunity to connect in person, share updates, and plan how we can continue advocating for intellectual freedom and the right to read in Pickens County. Please come — and feel free to invite friends who share our love for libraries and access to knowledge.
Find more information on the status of local libraries from CAFE Pickens. This includ
ACTION 8: Save the Date, LWVOP Book Club
October 28, 1 pm
Conference Room, Central Clemson Public Library, 105 Commons Way, Central, SC.
Join Holley Ulbrich, Eleanor Hare, and Ruth Reed for a discussion of "Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service" by Michael Lewis. LWV members and friends are invited.
If you are interested, but you can't attend this session, email reed.juniata [at] gmail.com (subject: LWVOP%20Book%20Club, body: ) (Ruth Reed) and include what format (in person, zoom would work for you) and what time (morning, afternoon, evening; weekdays , weekends.) We will discuss possible times, places, and formats at this first session.
State-Level Actions
Find your SC Legislators.
ACTION 9: Virtual Webinar: Vaccine Policy and Medicaid Expansion Support in SC
10/22/2025, 5:30pm
Scott Thorpe, Executive Director of the Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership, will share insights that will help us refine our advocacy recommendations on public health and vaccine use in South Carolina. Presented by the LWVSC Healthcare Working Group. Register in advance for access info.
ACTION 10: LEARN more about AI’s Safe usage for Elections— includes LWVSC contributors
A newly released book based on four years of research, PROMISE–PROMoting AI’s Safe usage for Elections—explores AI’s role in enhancing credible, data-driven electoral processes. The book has contributions from over 30 authors drawn from academia, industry, non-profits, and government, including chapters by LWVSC Board members Joan Zaleksi and Matthew Saltzman.
Read more about the book and its availability:
ACTION 11: LEARN AND SHARE about Safe AI for Seniors
Nov. 14, 2025, 9 am - 4 pm
Columbia and virtual
ACTION 12: Keep up the PRESSURE! On Nov. 18, 2 pm, the Medical Affairs Subcommittee will again hear testimony on S. 323.
S 323 remains unacceptable in its entirety. There is no amendment that could make this bill acceptable. It would treat any abortion as homicide with exceptions only for imminent death of the mother or loss of major bodily function.
Talking points:
- S 323 would require that even the youngest rape and incest victims carry pregnancies to term. Girls are increasingly reaching puberty at very young ages, so this raises the possibility of girls as young as 8 being required to give birth, an exceedingly dangerous demand.
- With S323 no one could decide for themselves whether to continue a pregnancy when a fetus is found to have no chance of survival. Senator Cash and his allies would have decided for them.
- The bill would prohibit common methods of birth control, and endanger IVF.
- The bill would demand specific resources for all “non-emergency” births from 19-37 weeks (ICU, two doctors present). Many South Carolinians can’t access those resources and even the few rural hospitals we have are in danger.
- The requirements of this bill open the door to many prosecutions for miscarriages.
- The sponsors of this bill have shown no evidence that they believe everyone is morally responsible for preserving other lives. If they believed that, they would be fighting for organ donation, perhaps even mandatory organ donation post mortem. This is only about controlling the lives of girls and women.
What can you do?
-
As a constituent, continue to call YOUR Senator Rice, (803) 212-6124; Senator Cash (803) 212-6116; and Senator Alexander (803) 212-6220. Demand that they abandon this egregious attack on our autonomy, privacy, speech, and safety. Personal calls from constituents are the most effective means of influencing Legislators!
-
Keep contacting Senators on the Medical Affairs Subcommittee and urge them to oppose S.323. Even lawmakers who generally support abortion bans can’t ignore overwhelming opposition from their constituents.
Cash, (803) 212-6124
Corbin, (803) 212-6100
Fernandez, (803) 212-6024
Garrett, 803-212-6016
Hutto, (803) 534-5218
Martin, (803) 212-6420
Saab, (843) 355-5349
Tedder, (803) 212-6132
Verdin, (Chairman) (803) 212-6250
Zell, (803) 212-6040
-
Amplify this message by liking and sharing the Facebook posts from LWVSC and LWVOP.If you took photos or videos at the rally, share them on social media using #StopTheBanSC
-
Be Informed.
ACTION 13: CONTACT the Election Assistance Commission about new proof of citizenship requirements.
From Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs, LWVUS :
“There is a new attempt to require burdensome documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. We need every member of LWV to help us stop it.
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is considering a petition asking it to initiate a process that would add documentary proof of citizenship to the federal voter registration form. Much like the SAVE Act, this proposal would force Americans to show specific, costly, hard-to-access documents like passports before registering to vote. An estimated 21 million Americans could be shut out from the ballot box, particularly rural voters, students, women, communities of color, and members of the military.”
Tell the EAC This is Voter Suppression.
National-Level Actions
ACTION 14: Concerned about the Federal Government Shutdown? You can use FiveCalls.org as a resource to contact your U.S. Senators and Representative with your opinions.
Oppose a Blank Check Federal Budget Deal - GOV SHUT DOWN (UPDATED 10/1)
Sheri Biggs (R-SC) 864-224-7401
This is your representative in the House.
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
This is one of your two Senators.
Tim Scott (R-SC) 202-224-6121
This is one of your two Senators.
Action 15: Take CARE of yourself (and others!)
When it all gets too stressful, take a moment and find something to laugh about. Thanks to FunnyTimes.com.
ACTION 16: Join the League (if you are not already a member!
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
ACTION 17: Sign up for the mailing list.
If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get it directly!
We would love to hear from you about this initiative. Feel free to forward this email to others who wish to find ways to participate. Whether it’s how this made you feel, results you saw, or suggestions for future topics, please let cherie.walker.lwv [at] gmail.com (subject: Defending%20Democracy, body: ) (Cherie Walker) know.
