Pancakes & Policy: June
Hot off the griddle! Welcome to Pancakes & Policy, Be The Ones’ newsletter - your short stack of democracy. Quick, digestible, and stacked with what you need to know about what's happening in the South Carolina State House.
📌 Want to dive deeper into our priorities and plans? Read more here
Grab a fork, let's dig in.🍴
🏛️ END OF SESSION + A SPECIAL SESSION!
While the General Assembly officially adjourned on May 14th, lawmakers returned to Columbia the following week for a Special Session called by Governor McMaster to continue efforts to redistrict congressional districts and finish work on the state budget.
We’ll be sharing a comprehensive legislative recap on our “All Eyes on SC” Virtual Session on Tuesday, June 30th - join us. Click here to register.
We’ll also be sharing more about the final weeks of session and stories around the fight for maps in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
📍 REDISTRICTING UPDATE: WE WON!
Following the Callais decision, South Carolina lawmakers moved quickly to redraw congressional districts in the middle of an active election cycle.
200,000+ community members, advocacy organizations, legal experts, and everyday South Carolinians mobilized across the state.
🎉 The result: South Carolina became the only Southern state to successfully hold off mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 election.
It's a reminder that organized communities can still shape outcomes. Stay tuned for our full redistricting breakdown - including lessons learned!
📅 ELECTION ADMINISTRATION BILLS BECOME LAW: MORE WINING!
There is a joke in SC that "every Tuesday is Election Day in South Carolina."
And honestly? It wasn't much of a joke.
South Carolina was one of only six states without a standardized election calendar. Between municipal and special elections, voters saw elections happening on more than 40 different Tuesdays each year. That's a lot of election days - and a lot of confusion for voters, candidates, and election officials.
For the last three years, Be The Ones has championed legislation to create a more predictable election calendar for South Carolina. While these proposals consistently received bipartisan support, they often fell victim to the end-of-session rush.
But not this year! Two significant election administration bills were signed into law.
H.3557: creates a more predictable statewide calendar for most special elections. Instead of special elections occurring throughout the year, most will now take place during a handful of designated election windows.
H.3556: standardizes many municipal election dates across South Carolina by moving municipal elections toward April or November election schedules in odd-numbered years.
Together, these new laws will reduce voter confusion, improve election administration, lower costs, and make it easier for South Carolinians to know when - and how - to participate.
For organizations like Be The Ones, it also means voter education and outreach can be more proactive, effective, and accessible because election dates are no longer scattered across the calendar.
It's not the flashiest democracy reform—but it's one that will make participation easier for voters across South Carolina for years to come.
🗳 NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SC ELECTION COMMISSION
After nearly a year of leadership transitions, South Carolina has a new Executive Director of the State Election Commission, Conway Belangia. This role oversees election administration statewide, making it one of the most important election-related positions in South Carolina as we head further toward November and beyond. You can ready more here.
🗳️ VOTER ROLL DATA & FEDERAL DEMANDS
The South Carolina Election Commission entered into an agreement with the DOJ for the purpose of sharing the State’s voter registration list with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This was not the outcome we had advocated for. We continue to monitor developments, work with partners, and assess potential implications for voters and election administration. You can read more here.
📬 What We’re Watching: Watson v. RNC
We're closely watching the Watson v. RNC SCOTUS case, which could have significant implications on vote by mail policies across the country. At issue is whether states can count mail ballots that are cast on time but arrive after Election Day. The Court's decision could affect how states set and administer mail ballot deadlines moving forward.
A ruling is expected any day, and we'll share an update once it is released. Depending on the outcome, election officials may need to quickly communicate changes to voters ahead of upcoming elections.
‼️ PROTECTING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT + VOTER OUTREACH
Recent actions targeting voting and civic engagement organizations in other states, including investigations and enforcement actions against voter engagement groups in Ohio earlier this month, are reminders that organizations across the country are navigating an increasingly challenging environment.
These actions underscore a broader reality: efforts to limit participation, create barriers to civic engagement, and discourage community organizing continue to evolve. As the political landscape shifts, organizations working to strengthen democracy must be prepared to adapt and protect the people doing this work.
We're participating in trainings, strengthening security practices, and working with partners to ensure our team, volunteers, and community members can continue this work safely.
👋 BUILDING ADVOCACY SKILLS ACROSS SC
One thing this moment continues to make clear: people want tools. They want to understand the legislative process. They want to know how to testify, how a bill moves, how committees work, and how to advocate effectively. They want to know how to register and get out the vote amongst their communities.
That’s why we’re thrilled to share that we’re expanding our training, facilitation, and speaking offerings — including:
Legislative Process 101
Advocacy & Testimony Workshops
Redistricting & Gerrymandering Education
Civic Engagement & Power-Building Trainings
Voter Registration, Education, & Mobilization
And more!
If your organization, campus, faith community, or coalition is interested in partnering with us on a training or workshop, we’d love to collaborate.
📍 WHY IT MATTERS
When national news feels overwhelming, it’s easy to feel disconnected or powerless. But the truth is this: local engagement matters—deeply. South Carolinians have real power at the local and state level, and it needs our attention.
Be The Ones will continue showing up, tracking bills, testifying when it counts, and breaking things down in plain language so more people can engage with confidence.
👉 If you want to plug in, learn more, or build your advocacy skills, we offer trainings, guides, and resources to help you do just that. Email our Advocacy & Community Organizing Director, Dylan Gunnels to learn more and let’s chat: dylan@betheones.org
Be The Ones is a nonpartisan grassroots organization building healthier communities, a more equitable democracy, and expanding power by removing barriers to local civic participation across the South Carolina.
