We’ll be honest, South Carolina doesn’t get a lot of love. That’s why we’ve launched our Spread the Local Love Campaign.

THE CAMPAIGN:

Spread the Local Love (to spring forward for more in ’24) is here to turn our hearts into hope & action as we work together to build a healthier thriving South Carolina.

Through March 19th (hello, spring!) we are:

  • Celebrating our commitment to South Carolina & love for all things local with stories, events, and actions

  • Raising $25,000 to help us engage & mobilize 240,000 South Carolinians this year

We believe when every South Carolinian has an equitable opportunity to engage, to vote, and shape their future, we create a state where healthy, livable, thriving communities are not just a possibility but a reality.

This year we’re focusing on near-term local elections to build long-term power.

Join us as we spread the local love and spring forward to do more in 2024.

75%

of eligible South Carolinians are registered to vote

16%

average voter participation in state & local elections

76%

of all races in 2022 were uncontested (599 positions)

  • 86%

    polled would be more likely to vote if basic information was provided (election dates, how to find polling place)

  • 2 in 5

    voters didn’t know the role their Sheriff and Coroner play in issues they identified as important to them

  • 58%

    polled in Charleston in October 2023 did not know the date of the Mayoral election

  • 72%

    of all county election directors and workers have resigned or retired since June 2021

WE CANNOT:

Expect people to vote in local races if they don’t have the information & tools to do so

  • We have to prioritize nonpartisan, easy to understand and approachable information distribution

Build a culture of collective civic and electoral participation if we aren’t inviting participation

  • We have to meet people where they are and create authentic community-centered opportunities

Continue to ask people to register & show up to vote if there is nothing for them to vote for

  • We have to give voters a choice at the ballot box by getting more people to run for office & hold leadership positions

We refuse to believe…

South Carolina is a _____________ (insert whatever adjective you want) state until we make a collective and valiant effort to close the information gaps and give voters a reason to want to show up and participate.

MORE IN 2024:

Standing on shoulders of thousands of voting champions in South Carolina, Be The Ones is the only organization solely focused on building the necessary (& very much wanted) local civic & electoral infrastructure across the state.

We’ve hopscotched across South Carolina having thousands of conversations to understand our neighbors' experiences and identify what information and participation gaps exist.

These conversations coupled with our nonpartisan voter education & mobilization work in 2023 has informed our playbook for this year.

In 2024, we will engage and mobilize 240,000 South Carolinians to become civically and electorally active.

To do this, we are:

  • Supporting local civic leaders

  • Engaging new local voters

  • Expanding civic & electoral knowledge and understanding

While our work spans multigenerational communities of various intersecting identities, this year we’re focused on supporting, engaging, and expanding power among:

  • Youth (16-29)

  • Women Under 40(ish)

  • Working Class & Historically Excluded Communities

  • Educators

We’ll be sharing more information, events, and ways for you to expand your power very soon.

We can’t wait to do more in 2024 with you!

  • 63,991

    seventeen year-olds that are turning 18 and are eligible to vote this year

  • 1 in 8

    registered voters are between 18-29 years-old

  • 55%

    of all registered voters are women (there are 339,001 more women than men registered to vote)

  • 72%

    of all county election directors and workers have resigned or retired since June 2021

  • 243

    school board seats are on the ballot this year

  • 60%

    of new voter registrations in 2023 were voters under the age of 44 years-old

  • 170

    number of House & Senate seats on the ballot this year (the entire Statehouse!)

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