COLUMBIA, S.C. — With voting season approaching, election officials across South Carolina are stepping up security efforts at local precincts and urging residents to be aware.
The State Election Commission got threats earlier this year, after allegations were raised that they were issuing voter registrations to non-citizens. They said they saw an uptick recently after the ACLU lawsuit over the DMV voter registrations.
"We have received threatening phone calls throughout the year, mostly stemming from individuals responding to the idea of non-citizens registering to vote," said TJ Lundeen, a spokesperson for the state election commission. "Our staff has explained our processes which ensure non-citizens are not registered to vote in South Carolina, but we still receive the phone calls, mostly from residents of other states."
Disruptions in Richland County
In Richland County, Registration and Elections Director Travis Alexander says his staff has had training on conflict mediation and how to deal with minor issues. For any major disruptions, they are asked to call the police. That's happened three times this year so far. An individual attempted to record video inside polling areas without permission, calling themself a "First Amendment Auditor." These situations, Alexander explained, can raise privacy concerns for voters whose ballots and faces might be unintentionally captured on camera.
“If you’ve got a camera, you’re potentially infringing on a voter’s constitutional privacy,” Alexander said. "Now you're taking a picture of that voters ballot and you’re taking a picture of that voters face."
Safety Measures in Lexington County
In Lexington County, they already had measures in place, and have features like panic buttons and glass panels to ensure poll workers' and voters' safety. But they've added new booklets this year to show what to do in emergency situations, including "hostile encounters," and trained staff on conflict deescalation, says Director of Registration and Elections Lenice Shoemaker.
“People are very passionate about elections, and we want them to be,” Shoemaker said. “It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. We need to follow the law and try to give that same information to the voter. So how can we say that in a way that’s not threatening?"
She says there haven't been disruptions or hostile encounters in Lexington locations.
To help ensure a smooth process, election officials advise voters to arrive prepared with any required identification and to avoid wearing or carrying campaign materials to precincts.