As of now, the DMV has confirmed 1,896 individuals who requested to be registered when applying for a driver’s license but were not added to the rolls.
Recently, a judge rejected a plea from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of South Carolina to mandate the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) and State Election Commission to reopen voter registration in the state. The request was to include thousands of eligible 17-year-olds on the voter rolls before the upcoming presidential election.
South Carolina law permits 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to be added to the voter rolls. However, due to a glitch in the SCDMV’s systems, around 17,000 potential voters had their registration forms not transmitted to the State Election Commission (SEC). These individuals had indicated their desire to register when applying for a state ID or driver’s license.
The ACLU’s complaint states, “Although thousands of these individuals were eligible to register to vote and provided the necessary information to do so, the SEC has refused to add them to the voter rolls or uphold their right to vote in the 2024 general election.”
“The exact number of unregistered individuals who expressed the desire to vote is currently unknown as this information is not electronically coded in the SCDMV database,” the group mentioned. “A manual count will be required.”
While the judge acknowledged the plight of the impacted voters, he sided with the defendants, stating that the ACLU’s request to reopen voter registration post the deadline was too drastic and would disrupt the voting process.
Although the case was not dismissed, indicating that the legal challenge against the SCDMV’s failure to register eligible 17-year-olds will continue through the legal system.
Following the ruling, the ACLU stated that the judge’s decision does not signify the end of the case, suggesting that they intend to pursue the legal battle further.
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