Columbia, South Carolina – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its chapter in South Carolina are suing the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) in a case started earlier this week. Presented before the Richland County Court, the case contends that these entities have illegally rejected more than 17,000 17-year-old South Carolinians their opportunity to register to vote. This group includes those who would be qualified to vote in the forthcoming general election of 2024.
The ACLU’s investigation shows that the SCDMV has disobeyed voter registration laws—most specifically the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)—for more than 20 years. The lawsuit claims that the SCDMV has methodically prevented young people from registering, therefore depriving them of their basic right to vote, even though they have legal right to register should they turn 18 by the next general election.
A long-standing problem finally brought to light
After young citizens complained, the ACLU’s legal staff started to investigate the case. Reports surfaced, one most prominently from State Representative Spencer Wetmore, whose constituent tried to register at 17 but was prevented from doing so. That person finally turned 18 in time for the general election but was ineligible to vote since their registration was never completed.
The investigation soon revealed a more complex problem: the matter was not isolated. For years, the SCDMV neglected to tell young candidates their attempts at registration were invalid. These 17-year-olds were excluded from the voter rolls even though they checked the required boxes to register for driver’s licenses or renewing.
Only over the past 13 months, 17,564 such people were impacted by these practices. And the issue might go even beyond, with hundreds more rejected registrations within the previous 22 years.
“We appreciate SCDMV’s candor and the agency’s willingness to identify the affected voters,” said Allen Chaney, legal director of the ACLU of South Carolina in a press release. “I am hopeful that the court will order the Election Commission to add these thousands of young, first-time voters to the voter rolls so that they can cast a ballot on Election Day.”
A clear violation of the Motor Voter Law
The argument rests on a specific National Voter Registration Act clause, referred to as the “Motor Voter” law. Designed to expedite the voter registration process, the law requires state organizations such as the DMV to provide residents with chances to register when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. According to South Carolina’s own legislation, 17-year-olds may register as long as they turn 18 before the next general election.
For almost 22 years, the SCDMV has, however, regularly shied from its duty. Instead of allowing young applicants to sign up electronically, their information was never sent to the State Election Commission for processing. These qualified voters were thus kept in the dark, their right to engage in the political process denied without reason.
Sometimes the denial went unnoticed until it was too late. Out of the 17,564 people rejected registration, 6,240 registered using alternative ways. The registration situation is still unknown for the remaining individuals. To figure out how many of the impacted people really tried to register but were blocked, a complete DMV database audit must be conducted.
A push for urgent action ahead of the 2024 election
The lawsuit’s timing is crucial. Scheduling the general election for November 2024, the ACLU is advocating a quick fix for the matter. In the lawsuit, they ask the court to order the State Election Commission to add all wrongfully excluded voters to the rolls as quickly as possible.
Young voters are advised to verify their registration status on the state’s voting website, scvotes.gov, to make sure they are not among the thousands potentially excluded in the meantime. Echoing this plea, Representative Wetmore encourages young people to remain vigilant.
Not acting has major repercussions. Should these young voters remain unregistered, they will be denied of their initial opportunity to engage in an election, a significant event in their lives. For some, this could cause lifetime withdrawal from the voting process.
A broken system in need of reform
This case throws light on more general problems with South Carolina’s voter registration system. For more than two decades, the SCDMV failed to follow federal and state legislation, which raises serious questions about responsibility and supervision. Potential voters have fallen through the gaps for years without knowing their attempts at registration failed.
The ACLU-SC has promised to keep advocating for voting rights, therefore demonstrating that this is not only about righting past wrongs but also about stopping current offenses. They are requesting that the government change its policies to guarantee that no more qualified voters are stripped of their right to cast ballots.
The ACLU is still optimistic that the courts will move quickly to put right this injustice as the lawsuit progresses. Voting is a basic right; hence systematic mistakes cannot let young people to be deprived of that right. The obligation of making sure everyone qualified can vote falls on the state.
Thousands of 17-year-olds in South Carolina now wait to find out whether their voices will be heard on Election Day.
