Judge Rejects ACLU's Request to Register 17-Year-Olds for Voting in South Carolina

Request Denied by Judge

A judge has turned down a plea by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Carolina. The ACLU had requested that South Carolina’s Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) and State Election Commission be ordered to reopen voter registration in the state. They also wanted to add thousands of eligible 17-year-olds to the voter rolls before the upcoming presidential election.

Details of the Ruling

Judge Daniel Coble of the Richland County Court of Common Pleas issued the ruling on Oct. 25. This was in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, which was seeking emergency relief to rectify what it claimed was a systemic error by the SCDMV. This error, according to the ACLU, stopped eligible 17-year-olds from being registered to vote.

Glitch in the System

South Carolina law permits 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by Election Day to be added to voter rolls. However, a supposed glitch in the SCDMV’s computers failed to transmit the registration forms of about 17,000 potential voters to the State Election Commission (SEC). This happened even though these young people had indicated their wish to register when they applied for a state ID or driver’s licenses.

ACLU's Complaint

The ACLU's complaint stated that the SEC was unwilling to add these individuals to the voter rolls or otherwise protect their fundamental right to cast a ballot in the 2024 general election. While about 6,000 of the affected 17-year-olds managed to register to vote in some other way, nearly 11,000—and possibly many more—were affected by the issue, according to the ACLU.

Unregistered Voters

The ACLU also noted that it is not yet known how many of the unregistered individuals had selected 'Yes' on the form indicating that they would like to register to vote. As this information is not electronically coded in the SCDMV database, a manual count will be required.

Impact on Voting System

So far, the DMV has identified 1,896 individuals who asked to be registered when applying for a driver’s license but were not added to the rolls. In court, the defense attorneys argued that reopening voter registration after early voting had already started and adding the affected voters to the rolls would disrupt the voting system.

Judge's Decision

While the judge expressed sympathy for the affected voters, he sided with the defense. He ruled that the ACLU’s emergency request to reopen voter registration after the deadline was too drastic and disruptive. However, the judge did not dismiss the case, indicating that the broader legal challenge to the SCDMV’s failure to register eligible 17-year-olds will continue in the courts.

ACLU's Response

The ACLU has stated that the judge’s decision does not end the case, indicating its intent to continue the legal battle. "Our government failed these young voters, and now the same government is making excuses rather than making things right. When ‘It’s too hard to fix’ becomes an acceptable reason to disenfranchise voters, we know that there’s work to do,” said Allen Chaney, ACLU of South Carolina legal director.

Voting Statistics

According to data released on Oct. 25 by the SEC, approximately 511,000 ballots have been cast in the first four days of early voting in South Carolina.

Bottom Line

This case highlights the complexities and challenges in ensuring that all eligible voters are able to exercise their right to vote. It raises important questions about the systems in place to register voters and the potential for errors or glitches to disenfranchise potential voters. What are your thoughts on this matter? Share this article with your friends and discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.