Opportunity Is On The Ballot
The Real Story in South Carolina
Over the last two weeks, I've had some version of the same conversation.
People keep asking, "What's happening in South Carolina?" or “Is this finally South Carolina’s moment?”
My answer is yes—but probably not for the reason most people think.
For the first time in 22 years, South Carolina has an open U.S. Senate seat.
And, yes, that is certainly part of the answer. It is what’s capturing national attention. But it's only one chapter of a much bigger story.
The bigger story is that South Carolina has quietly become one of the most consequential states in the country for the future of democracy and civic participation.
For years, South Carolina has been described as predictable, uncompetitive, politically settled (or insert whatever other adjective you want to in here).
Those labels shaped more than political commentary. They influenced where campaigns would go, where money was invested, where media paid attention, and perhaps most importantly, what South Carolinians expected from their own elections.
Too many communities were overlooked because they were considered "safe" or "unwinnable." Too many races went uncontested (SC was ranked #12 with most uncontested races in 2022 and again in 2024). Too many voters came to believe their participation wouldn't matter because the outcome had already been decided.
Whether people liked that reality or hated it, it became the story that was told about our state.
That story simply isn’t true anymore.
In the last several months, a series of historic developments has fundamentally changed South Carolina's political landscape.
For the first time in 22 years, there is an open U.S. Senate seat.
South Carolina became the only Southern state to hold off mid-decade redistricting following Callais
For the first time in over three decades, every statewide constitutional office has both a Democratic and Republican nominee and every one of our 124 State House districts has candidates from both major parties in November
And, for the first time in state history, the overwhelming majority of one major party's statewide constitutional candidates are African American—all between the ages of 29-45.
Regardless of political perspective, those are remarkable realities.
Taken together, they represent one of the most significant opportunities for civic participation and long-term power building South Carolina has seen in modern history.
For the first time in a generation, millions of South Carolinians will open their ballots and find meaningful choices from top to bottom. Rural communities, urban neighborhoods, small towns, and growing suburbs alike will see campaigns asking for their votes. Candidates will (hopefully...) travel to places they may have overlooked in previous years. National organizations may finally turn their attention toward our state. Millions of dollars will be spent trying to persuade voters.
This moment isn't important because political insiders, campaigns, or national organizations are paying attention to South Carolina. It's important because every South Carolinian has a greater opportunity than they've had in decades to shape what happens next.
That’s good for democracy, but it doesn’t guarantee participation. .
As I've been sitting with all of this, I keep coming back to this idea that competitive elections create opportunity, but they don't automatically create participation. Opportunity is what’s on the ballot this November. Participation is the choice South Carolinians still have to make.
That’s the mistake we often make. We assume that if the ballot is exciting enough, people will naturally show up. But civic participation doesn’t work that way.
We often talk about voter turnout as though it simply happens on Election Day. In reality, turnout starts months earlier. It starts with conversations, with relationships, helping people believe their participation matters long before they ever receive a ballot.
People don’t vote simply because there’s a competitive race. They vote because someone helped them understand why it matters, someone invited them in, someone took the time to answer their questions and helped them find their polling location. Maybe for the first time, they looked at the ballot and saw someone whose story and values reminded them that leadership can look like them, too.
One of the things we've learned over the years at Be The Ones is that representation matters in ways we don't always measure. When people see candidates who share their lived experiences, backgrounds, or generation, something shifts. For some, it's the first time they've imagined themselves participating—not just as a voter, but as organizers, volunteers, community leaders, or even future candidates.
We know this because we've seen it.
Over the last several years, we've watched young people light up when they meet candidates who remind them of themselves. We've watched students who never imagined walking into a polling place become campus organizers a year later. We've watched first-time voters come back and bring their roommates and friends.
Participation is contagious when people believe they belong.
Moments like this can seem as though they appeared overnight. They didn’t. From the outside, it can feel like South Carolina suddenly became important. But from where I sit, this feels much less like a surprise and much more like the result of years of really hard and consistent work.
For years, organizers, community leaders, volunteers, educators, and neighbors have been doing the quiet work of building relationships, registering voters, training young leaders, and helping people believe that their voice matters. Most of that work never makes the news. It rarely goes viral. But it creates the conditions that make moments like this possible.
That's why I don't think the opportunity in front of us is simply to win elections in November.
It's to welcome thousands of people into civic life who may have never felt like there was a place for them before now.
The candidates will eventually change. Campaigns will end. The signs will come down. What I hope remains is something much more lasting: a new generation of South Carolinians who discovered that they belong in our democracy.
That's ultimately what we're trying to build at Be The Ones.
Not just higher turnout in one election, but a culture where participation becomes normal, relevant, and celebrated. Where young people expect to vote. Where communities know candidates will show up long before Election Day. Where people understand that democracy isn't something we pay attention to every two or four years—it's something we practice together all year round.
I don't know exactly what November will bring. None of us do.
But I do know this feels like one of those rare moments when the ballot presents people with real opportunity. Our responsibility now is to make sure as many South Carolinians as possible are prepared to seize it.
That's the work ahead of us at Be The Ones.
Over the next several months, we'll be on college campuses, at festivals, churches, breweries, coffee shops, and neighborhoods across South Carolina helping people navigate this moment. We'll register first-time voters, train young leaders, answer questions, help voters obtain an ID, distribute millions of nonpartisan voter guides and resources, and create spaces where people feel welcomed, connected, and like they belong in our democracy. We’ll make sure as many people as possible are prepared to participate—not just this November, but for years to come.
If you believe this moment is bigger than one election—if you believe it's an opportunity to build a stronger culture of civic participation in South Carolina—if you believe in South Carolina—we'd love for you to be part of it. You can support this work by making a donation here.