Opinion: Time to Revamp Voter Registration Process

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

As citizens make plans for summer vacations and other activities, it’s good to remember that in 150 days elections will be held in Belton, Easley, Honea Path, Iva, Pelzer, Pendleton, and West Pelzer. 

While more Americans are going to the polls in recent elections, the country still ranks 50th among democratic nations in voter turnout in 2020.

This ranking is higher than the 2016 ranking, due to a surge of new voters in the 2018 midterms and the 2020 general election.

The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which finally gave women the right to vote, saw a higher percentage of women who were eligible (68 percent) voting than men who were eligible to vote (65 percent). 

Sadly, that still means more than a third of all eligible Americans who were eligible to vote did not. And this does not include the 21.7 percent of American citizens of age who are not registered to vote.

In South Carolina, voter participation is far less than the national average, with just 50.8 percent of registered voters participating in the 2022 general elections. 

Two things could be done to help jump start the challenge of increasing participation in elections. 

First, make the right to vote part of citizenship. No registration forms, simply a verified birth certificate or verified paperwork that a person has become a naturalized citizen. Citizens born in the U.S. would receive confirmation of their voter status on their 18th birthday automatically. 

While that plan is being implemented, offer citizenship /voter verification when getting a driver’s license. Many DMVs already have the paperwork to register to vote, so why duplicate? Anyone seeking the privilege to drive in this country should be added to the voter rolls. 

Second, while the measures above are being put in place, put more dedicated effort in encouraging voter registration. Online voting registration is available, but few seem to know it. More than a few high schools don't offer reminders to their graduating seniors that voting is one of the responsibilities of citizenship while providing information on how and where to register.

Encouraging voter registration booths at public events, and more are popping up locally, would be another worthwhile effort. Juneteenth and July 4 celebrations offer excellent opportunities to register voters. 

Voting matters. From local elections to the White House and Capitol Hill, the men and women we elect can have a profound influence on our way of life.

If you live in one of these towns in Anderson County that have elections Nov. 7, you have until Oct. 7 to register to vote.

Help is always available if you have questions. The Anderson Office of Voter Registration and Elections has been recognized as one of the best in the state, and the staff there is top-notch. Executive Director Laura Robinson Booth and her team are patient and friendly and ready to help. Visit their website here, or call them at 864-260-4035. You can also drop by their office at 301 North Main Street for information or assistance.  

You can also register online here. SCVotes.gov also offers every voter information on the precinct they are to vote and what candidates, or other items which are on their ballot (a sample ballot is provided).

No matter your political affiliation, 2023 offers a good time to encourage friends and family to vote. If you aren't in one of the municipalities holding November elections this year, there is plenty of time to register and become informed on the process allowing you to vote for those candidates who best reflect you values in the 2024 general elections.

As one who votes in every election, I've earned the right to evaluate, encourage, criticize and opine about the people who are running our community, schools, state and country.

And while I appreciate the challenge put forth to help us all return to civil discourse in this country, and I have an informed understanding of the Constitution's guaranteed right to free speech, I'm inclined to remind those who don’t register to vote or don’t vote that their opinions are a waste of their breath and everyone else’s time.