LDF Urges South Carolina Election Commission to Issue Guidance that Non partisan Poll Monitors Wearing Non partisan Apparel Are Allowed to Conduct Monitoring Activities

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Today, LDF sent a letter to the South Carolina State Election Commission to request they issue guidance to election officials across South Carolina that LDF's non-partisan "Black Voters on the Rise" volunteer apparel is not partisan and does not prohibit our staff and volunteers from conducting non-partisan poll monitoring activities. The letter was sent after instances of poll workers telling volunteers that LDF's non-partisan "Black Voters on the Rise" t-shirts were partisan and violated electioneering laws. Election officials in South Carolina have attempted to prevent LDF volunteers from poll monitoring due to misconstruing LDF's "Black Voters on the Rise" apparel as partisan. The "Black Voters on the Rise" apparel and expression does not violate South Carolina's electioneering statute and is clearly protected speech under the First Amendment.

Non-Partisan Election Volunteers at the Legal Defense Fund play a pivotal role in helping safeguard our democracy. LDF, alongside local, state, and national partners in our South Carolina Voting Rights Coalition coordinate nonpartisan civic engagement and Election Protection programming across South Carolina. Through our network of volunteers and reports to the 866-OUR-VOTE nonpartisan Election Protection hotline, we monitor polling locations and field inquiries regarding voting rights and reports of issues at polling sites. Our election volunteers wear non- partisan LDF apparel pictured below for ease of identification to election officials and voters.

Read the full letter here.

Shortly after LDF sent the letter, the General Counsel of the South Carolina State Election Commission responded agreeing with our request and will issue guidance to all 46 counties in South Carolina.