Beyond Registration: Closing the Gap Between Signing Up and Showing Up
September marked National Voter Registration Month, and as October has blown the door wide open, we’ve been reflecting not just on what happened this past month but on what voter registration really means in South Carolina.
At the beginning of 2025, South Carolina had an ~82% voter registration rate. That means more than 8 out of 10 eligible South Carolinians were already registered to vote.
In a state where civic wins can sometimes feel few and far between, that’s a big one - we’ll take it. 🎉
But here’s the challenge: while ~82% of eligible voters are registered, turnout in our local elections - the ones that decide who leads our school boards, city councils, and county governments - hovers at an average of just about 11%. Those are the races that shape our daily lives the most, and far too few of us are weighing in.
WHY WE’RE NOT A “VOTER REGISTRATION ORGANIZATION”
Plenty of people have told us over the years: “You should just focus on registering more voters.” (ok, Jan) And while we celebrate new registrations, we’ve never believed that registration alone is the answer. Be The Ones wasn’t founded as a voter registration group - and we never will be.
Our work is about something deeper when it comes to voter registration: closing the registration-to-participation gap, especially among young people, first-time voters, and those who feel “politically lost.”
REIMAGINING WHAT REGISTRATION LOOKS & FEELS LIKETrue to our core mission of building a culture of joyful, fun, and celebrated civic engagement, we’ve reimagined how registration happens - and what comes after it.
Did you know that every person we register gets a uniquely designed “I Registered to Vote” sticker, sparking the same pride and habit-building that comes with wearing an “I Voted” sticker?
Over the past three years, we’ve used art, creativity, and wild imagination to make voter registration feel like a celebration, not a chore:
Selfie stations and “design your own registration card” activities
Popsicle & lollipop voting simulations
Cheers, claps, interpretive dances when people register
Joy-filled booths at festivals, concerts, and community block parties
Partnerships with college DJs, artists, and local influencers who host and carry the message
We’ve not interested in the old “pen, form, and a pat on the back” model of registration - that’s just not our vibe. We’d rather bring the party to where joy, community, and connection are already buzzing, and weave registration right into the fun, culture, and celebration happening across our state.
THE VOTER LIFECYCLE
Our approach is also shaped by how we think about the entire lifecycle of a voter. We see registration as the doorway, not the destination. It’s not a one-time transaction - it’s the beginning of a relationship.
We’re always asking: “What are all the ways, steps, and parts of a voter’s journey? How can we nurture that journey from start to finish?”
That curiosity and commitment have led us to create:
First-Time Voter Guides with the basics and what comes next (after registering)
First-Time Voters Club to build community among new voters
Targeted, Audience-Specific Communications that confirm registrations, send reminders, and answer key questionS
Relational Organizing Programs where friends, peers, and community leaders guide and encourage each other
At its heart, our work is about relationship-building and trust. Registration opens the door - but what comes after is the conversation, the connection, and the commitment that keeps people showing up at the polls, especially in local and state races.
YOUNG PEOPLE AREN’T (NECESSARILY) CHECKED OUT
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned: young people aren’t “checked out” or disinterested in registering or voting. What they often lack are the tools, information, and community to feel confident navigating a confusing system.
They bring honest, important questions:
Where’s my polling place? What’s actually on the ballot? Do I need an ID - and which kind? Why should a local school board race matter to me as a college student?These aren’t questions easily answered by scrolling through a government website )no shade, but we all know most of those sites aren’t built for accessibility or clarity). That’s why we’ve built tools, resources, and spaces where our team can answer them - every day of the week, not just during “election season.”
FROM INSIGHTS TO ACTION
Over the last three years, our methods and tactics haven’t just gotten people to register - they revealed numerous barriers. We’ll have to pen another blog post breaking all of these down one day soon, but for now, let’s talk about one of the most common among college students.
IDs.
Many students at South Carolina colleges & universities don’t have a SC driver’s license or state ID - and they're not lining up to get one.
That’s a problem in a state where college student IDs are not accepted at the polls. Which, by the way, South Carolina is only one of seven states where student IDs are NOT accepted as a valid form of identification to vote - though fun fact: they used to count.
So, we responded and got creative:
Hosting voter registration card/ID pop-ups on campuses
Driving students to election commissions to get voter registration cards with photos
In November 2024, bringing nearly 60 students to early voting sites where they could obtain voter registration card w/ photo IDs on the spot
These stopgap solutions work, but they’re not sustainable. That’s why we’re also engaging state legislators to change policy and restore student IDs as valid voter ID in South Carolina, joining our neighbors in Georgia and North Carolina.
That’s the work of closing the gap.
WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
We’re so unbelievably proud of every new voter we’ve helped register over - hundreds this past month and thousands over the last three years.
For Be The Ones, registration is just the start. Our work is about turning that ~82% registration rate into real, meaningful participation in the elections that shape the future of South Carolina.
We’re going to keep experimenting, we’ll keep building trust, and we’ll keep pushing for systems that make it easier for every person - especially young people - to show up, speak up, and vote.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about signing up.
It’s about showing up.