Charleston, SC -- The ACLU of South Carolina, represented by Legal Director Susan Dunn, will testify on voting challenges in South Carolina at a hearing convened by The National Commission on Voting Rights, in Columbia, SC on February 6, 2014. The hearing will take place at the Richland County Council Chambers, 2020 Hampton Street (2nd floor), Columbia, SC 29202, from 3-7 p.m.
The South Carolina event is the third in a series of national hearings held to collect testimony on the current landscape of voting and elections in the U.S. The testimony, as well as state-specific research, will be compiled into reports for anyone seeking to reform voting laws—policymakers, advocates, and citizens. A selection of South Carolina election commissioners will hear testimony from two panels of witnesses representing community organizations who will speak on voting changes, voter registration efforts, election administration, and other issues.
In recent years, numerous states have enacted restrictive voting laws, while others continue to face recurring election administration and electoral reform challenges.
The ACLU of SC has pressed for changes to voting laws in South Carolina that would increase access for all voters and has fought against voter suppression measures that disenfranchise eligible voters. According to Executive Director Victoria Middleton, “We need to ensure that all eligible South Carolinians have the ability to make their voices heard by exercising their constitutional right to vote.” In 2013, the ACLU of SC participated in a legal challenge that mitigated the state’s voter photo ID law, ensuring that all voters who lack state-issued photo ID may still vote if they attest that they have a reasonable impediment to obtaining such an ID.
