South Carolina Daily Gazette

Legislation that could have increased turnout in South Carolina’s local elections while speeding up Election Day tallying died in the final minutes of this year’s regular session, despite both chambers approving it overwhelmingly.

The one thing legislators must do in the extended session is finalize a state spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1. Lynn Teague with the state League of Women Voters said more state funding for local elections would be helpful. “The state, and to some extent the feds, call the shots, and then the counties get beat up if something goes wrong. We believe more consistency is required in municipal elections.”

Wyoming Public Radio

The palmetto state is one of only two in the nation where state supreme court justices are elected by the state legislature. Advocates are pushing for more diversity on the high court. “I think they’re (lawmakers) unlikely to consider diversity as much as they should,” Teague said. “(It) will not be weighted as heavily as the real benefits of a diverse perspective would dictate.”

NPR, South Carolina Public Radio, Wyoming Public Radio

The palmetto state is one of only two in the nation where state supreme court justices are elected by the state legislature. Advocates are pushing for more diversity on the high court. “I think they’re (lawmakers) unlikely to consider diversity as much as they should,” Teague said. “(It) will not be weighted as heavily as the real benefits of a diverse perspective would dictate.”

News 19 WLTX

With less than a month until the statewide primary election, voters in South Carolina are gearing up to cast their ballots for new members of the state House, Senate, and Congress. Lynn Teague, VP for Issues and Action, League of Women Voters of South Carolina, emphasized the importance of voter participation, especially in primaries.

"Very few people vote in the primaries. This is an infraction, destroying our democracy," Teague noted. "If everybody in the state voted in the primaries, we would have a different government."