With many calling the upcoming 2024 elections the most consequential in US history, the midterms are providing a test run of new partisan tactics to harass election officials and poll workers in an effort to jam the system and invalidate the voting process.

And while South Carolina has a better election system than those in most states, we are not immune from the coming shenanigans. Yesterday, the New York Times led with South Carolina in a story about right-wing efforts to undermine the legitimacy of elections.

“On the eve of a primary runoff election in June, a Republican candidate for secretary of state of South Carolina sent out a message to his supporters.

“For all of you on the team tomorrow observing the polls, Good Hunting,” Keith Blandford, a candidate who promoted the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald J. Trump, wrote on the social media app Telegram. “You know what you are looking for. We have the enemy on their back foot, press the attack.”

The next day, activists fanned out to polling places in Charleston, S.C., demanding to inspect election equipment and to take photographs and video. When election workers denied their requests, some returned with police officers to file reports about broken or missing seals on the machines, according to emails from local officials to the state election commission. There were no broken or missing seals.” (Full article here.)

Since the 2020 election, 17 of South Carolina’s 46 executive directors of county boards of elections have quit and been replaced by someone who has never directed an election. Statewide, there are currently 23 staff vacancies in election offices.

This collapse of election infrastructure was set in motion by those promoting The Big Lie after the former president’s defeat. The new tactics being embraced and promoted by the extreme right is an unprecedented effort to retain power at all cost.

Our organization has been paying close attention, and we’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve been doing coordinated election protection work since 2008. The system is rigged through gerrymandering and cozy relationships between corporations and lawmakers that have made our elections among the least competitive in the country.

We know that we are not going to be able to vote our way out of this mess; we must organize. The good news is that we are not surprised nor unprepared. All that’s missing is you.

There are two final opportunities to be trained to help protect the vote. No experience needed. Tasks need to be done in every precinct. We need signs promoting the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline posted at sites across the state and on social media. Early voting runs Oct. 25 – Nov. 5. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Final election protection trainings will be held Oct. 20 at 7pm and Oct. 22 at 11am on Zoom: (session repeats; sign up for either hour-long class). You will be emailed election protection materials after you have registered. Poll monitor credentials and t-shirts will be mailed to those who complete the training. The session will demystify the electoral system and highlight the systemic problems crippling our democracy.

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Sign up for either one-hour session

• Oct. 20 at 7pm: register HERE

• Oct. 22 at 11am: register HERE