We take action to defend democracy!
Actions for the week of 10.27.2025
Thanks to everyone who contributed items this week!
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.
“Being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.”
– JOHN LOCKE
Local-Level Actions
ACTION 1: Thanks to all who showed their support for defending democracy at the No Kings 2 Rally.
ACTION 2: KEEP IT GOING! Join the virtual Love America Rally with Heather Cox Richardson.
Wednesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET
“Heather will put our current moment in the context of America’s storied history of protest and justice movements, and we’ll talk about reclaiming patriotism from the extremists who have warped its meaning.
We'll also talk about our next chance to express our love of country – voting and getting our friends and family to vote in the 50,000+ local races happening nationwide on November 4.”
Shared from Katie at Red Wine & Blue.
Action 3: ATTEND meetings of your local government and stay informed on local issues.
LWVOP.org maintains an extensive calendar of local public meetings.
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Monday, October 27: Pickens City Council Work Session, 219 Pendleton St, Pickens, SC 29671 at 6 pm. Find Schedule of Meetings, City Council Minutes, Agendas, and Livestream Recordings here.
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Monday, October 27: Pickens County School Board Meeting** at 1348 Griffin Mill Rd, Easley, SC 29640 at 6 pm. Board meetings are livestreamed; to watch, please connect to the SDPC YouTube page. You may view videos of past meetings.
ACTION 4: POLL OBSERVER TRAINING
October 30 at 7pm.
Register for training.
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 5. ATTEND Friends of the Library Advocacy
Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 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 includes updates on statewide book bans, library funding and the status of the Pickens Library Board.
ACTION 6: 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.
ACTION 7. THANK your poll workers for being heroes!
Monday, November 3 is Election Hero Day, a collaborative and nonpartisan national day of celebration recognizing the tremendous contributions that election officials, their staff, and poll workers make to ensure a safe and secure voting experience for all Americans. Since 2020, this civic holiday has brought together nonprofits, business leaders, brands, public officials, and more to honor the election heroes in our communities. League of Women Voters Education Fund has announced that it will assume the Managing Partner role of Election Hero Day.
State-Level Actions
Find your SC Legislators.
ACTION 8: Read an important statement from LWVSC supporting full practice authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
Teresa Arnold, Board of Directors, LWVSC states: “Health care access and quality is one of three top priorities of South Carolina League members. Allowing nurse practitioners to provide the healthcare they are trained and licensed to give without being tied to a smaller and smaller pool of primary care physicians will expand quality access to care in South Carolina. Thirty-seven other states already have some form of full practice authority, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.” Read her full statement.
The next hearing on the full practice act will be Nov. 5th. Contact your legislators to express your support.
ACTION 9: 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 10: Save the Date: LEARN AND SHARE about Safe AI for Seniors
Nov. 14, 2025, 9 am - 4 pm
Columbia and virtual
Safe AI for Seniors, a full-day, free, hybrid event is dedicated to empowering older adults (55+) with knowledge, tools, and engaging discussions about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on daily life.
Hosted by the AI4Society research group in the AI Institute at the University of South Carolina, this unique gathering is designed to help seniors better understand AI, explore its benefits and risks, and share their perspectives in shaping a safer digital future. Community members, senior citizen centers, nonprofits, and individuals curious about AI are welcome to participate.
ACTION 11: 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?
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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!
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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
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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
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Be Informed.
National-Level Actions
ACTION 12: TELL Congress to end the shutdown NOW!
Full statement from LWVUS here:
“The federal government has been partially shut down since October 1st as Congress has failed to agree on an annual budget. The shutdown has imminent consequences for the health and well-being of millions of Americans whose paychecks are being withheld, and food access is being threatened.
As of now, more than one million federal employees are going unpaid, including approximately 730,000 working without pay and 670,000 who have been furloughed. Missing paychecks could force people to cut into their savings, rack up credit card debt, work additional jobs, and/or struggle to meet their own and their family’s basic needs…
While Congress continues to get paid, the American people, including some of our most vulnerable community members, don’t have their most basic needs met. This is simply unacceptable.
We must protect the health and well-being of our neighbors. Tell Congress to set aside partisan politics and come together to end the shutdown now.”
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 13: Take CARE of yourself (and others!)
When it all gets too stressful, take a moment and find something to laugh about. See This Year’s Hilarious Finalists From the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, From Gossiping Leopards to Breakdancing Foxes. Check out the photo finalists for a good chuckle. Shared from Nice News.
ACTION 14: Join the League (if you are not already a member!
Help support the League in their mission of educating and informing voters.
ACTION 15: 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.
