LWV Charleston Area Newsletter | April 2026 | | |
IN THIS ISSUE
New: In-Theater Voter Campaign!
Volunteer Leadership for LWVCA
Our Signature Voter Programs
SC Immunizations Report
Environmental Advocacy
Photo Shoot & Upcoming Events!
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Voter Campaign to Hit
the Big Screen!
This election season, LWV Charleston is doing something new to help Get out the Vote in the primaries and promote Vote411.org for election and candidate information!
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Starting May 9 through Primaries Day on June 9, we'll be running 30-second video ads at all showings in five movie theaters! Our messages will reach a broad cross-section of moviegoers to encourage them to use their vote in the primary elections, and to get informed by using Vote411.org.
Ads will run on 67 screens in five popular area cinemas!
- Citadel Mall Stadium (Charleston)
- Northwoods Stadium (North Charleston)
- Regal Azalea Square (Summerville)
- Regal Palmetto Grande (Mt Pleasant)
- Movies 8 (Summerville)
Please Help us Reach Voters!
➡️ This campaign is funded with donor support! One $15 contribution will pay for 30 showings of the League's ad! Any contribution will be appreciated. Can you help?
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Election Flyers Outreach
We'll be looking for volunteers to help print and hang flyers like these about upcoming Primary dates and deadlines at local coffee shops, libraries, gyms, etc. Watch your inbox! Or be proactive and email Cara Erickson to assist with this effort!
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Our Volunteers are THE BEST
And LWVCA needs You!
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People are always stunned when we tell them we are an all-volunteer organization. All of our candidate forums, white papers, voter registration drives, action alerts, newsletters, election guides, and public events are done entirely by volunteers, many who serve on our Board of Directors.
They're amazing, and while many of them will be continuing for another term, we do have some positions opening at the end of this fiscal year. Our Nominating Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2026-2027 Board of Directors. If you are interested to learn more, or know another LWVCA member who you think would be a good addition to our Board, please send an email to the committee by April 15 and we'll give them a call! We have a variety of needs, from communications director, to special events coordinator, to advocacy chair to membership specialists. There's a lot of work to be done to Defend Democracy and Empower Voters; we're at an "All Hands On Deck" moment.
If we contact you, know that we have appreciated your input and involvement and think you would be an asset to our team. We look forward to providing the LWVCA (and the community we serve) with a strong Board to support our mission in the upcoming year!
| | Our Signature Election Programs | | |
This month we accelerate efforts on two signature League election programs: Candidate Forums, and the Vote411.org election information site. Candidate filing period has just ended, which is the signal for these efforts to start in earnest!
1- Vote411.org is the one-step League platform for personalized election information, and the place where all local candidates for tri-county races are invited to answer issue-based questions so that voters know where they stand. This spring, 94 candidates for SC statehouse and local races will be contacted to participate for the Primary elections. LWVSC will be contacting candidates and uploading information about State-level races.
Vote 411 Volunteer Opportunities: Do you have 30 minutes to spare? We're seeking members to follow up with candidates. Click to email Director Chris Symons to help !
2- LWV's nonpartisan Candidate Forums allow candidates to 'meet' voters and answer questions in a structured nonpartisan forum setting. LWV's forums fill a critical information gap for voters in many local communities. We will announce our Primaries forums schedule shortly. See 'upcoming events' below for the forums we're planning for Congressional District 1 on May 16!
Candidate Forums Volunteer Opportunities: Willing to volunteer with the behind-the-scenes or on-site assistance associated for forums OR to suggest a specific race for consideration? Click to mail Director Karen Gallagher.
| | Voter Registration Season! | | |
The League is now entering the season that's historically our busiest for registering voters ... spring in the high schools. We will be visiting high schools in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. We like to attend senior student events to capitalize on the participation of 18 year-olds - and to encourage students to enlist their friends to register too! In addition to registering students who are eligible for the June 9 primaries, we can register students who will turn 18 on or by national election day on November 3. Nothing is more joyous than registering a young voter for one of the great rights of citizenship!
We also participate in many civic events and programs. See 'upcoming events below'!
Voter Services co-Directors Kathy Bennett and Judy Manning are always seeking new volunteers. Please email Kathy if you'd like to be included in our Signup Genius email notifications about upcoming opportunities across the area. Thanks to all our ongoing volunteers!
| | SC Immunizations: Committee Report | | | | Over the past several months, LWVCA’s Healthcare Committee has studied childhood immunization rates in our area. Prompted by the measles outbreak in Upstate SC, which is the result of low vaccination rates, the committee was curious about the rates for Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. | | | |
This is what we have learned:
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The school vaccination rates in our area are declining. For the 2025-26 school year, the percentage of students who have their required immunizations is below the 95% herd immunity level in Berkeley (93.8%), Charleston (92.9%), and Dorchester (94.5%) counties. (see graph showing trends by school year).
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The rates of religious (i.e., non-medical) exemptions are increasing. Parents may request an exemption from required immunizations for medical or religious (non-medical) reasons. A non-medical exemption can easily be obtained by parents. While the medical exemption percentages have remained low, the percentages of students with non-medical exemptions have been growing at an alarming rate. For the 2025-26 school year, the rates are: Berkeley at 3.3% ; Charleston at 3.5%; and Dorchester at 4.1%.
The trend of decreasing childhood vaccination rates and increasing non-medical exemption rates is concerning. There is extensive misinformation about immunizations, which is at least partially driving lower vaccination rates. Preventive measures like vaccination are key to a healthy community and a strong democracy. The committee now turns to identifying and working with community partners in collaborative efforts to improve vaccination rates.
See the expanded Healthcare section on our website for more research and insights on SC immunizations. For more information, please email Deb Anderson.
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⚡️Environmental Advocacy ⚡️
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The active and growing Environmental Studies Group, led by Judith Kramer, has been closely monitoring the proposed Canadys Methane gas-fired power plant and attendant pipeline, and taking action to make our concerns known about implications for the environment and ratepayers. Judith testified in person on April 7 at the SC Public Service Commission's headquarters in Columbia concerning proposed approval of this massive undertaking along the Edisto River, while two other members gave testimony by phone. Linda Ashley made a strong presentation to the Public Service Commission in Walterboro last month.
We appreciate their committed leadership on this issue, which has become a critical topic at both the local level and in the SC statehouse.
| | Our first member's documentary discussion group was a success, and will continue! | | LWV Charleston was well represented at LWVSC LEAD, the informative education and advocacy day held in Columbia on March 21st. | | |
Wed., April 8 and April 15 (note new dates) - Behind the Ballot, a behind-the-scenes two-part workshop on how our elections work, presented by Charleston County Board of Elections. Keith Summey Library, N. Charleston, 6-7 pm. LWVCA volunteers will be on hand with voter info and a demonstration of Vote411.org! Open to the public.
Saturday, April 18 - LWVCA presence at the International African American Museum's Jazz in the Garden, 11am - 3pm
Friday- Sunday, May 15-17- LWVCA will have a presence at That Big Book Sale, Charleston Friends of the Library, Omar Shrine Auditorium, Mt Pleasant. Volunteers will be needed!
SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, May 16 - LWV Charleston and Silence is Not an Option (SINO) plans to partner on two candidate forums for the Congressional District 1 Primaries, downtown at Circular Congregational Church. The Democratic candidate forum will be from 10:30 am- 12:30 pm, followed by the Republican candidate forum from 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm. All candidates have been invited.
SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, May 31 - Member Documentary Discussion Group, 3pm, at a member's home downtown. We'll discuss Amend, The Fight for America, available on Netflix, a timely and engaging docuseries that explores the historical and current impact of the 14th Amendment. Six one-hour segments. 100% rated on Rotten Tomatoes! Watch for the signup link.
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, June 4 - 5 pm- 7-pm, Charleston Main Library Calhoun - LWVCA's Annual Member Meeting! We'll socialize, conduct some business, enjoy food and drink. Details and signup to come! The more members who attend, the more momentum we have as we look back at this fiscal year, and charge ahead!
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UPDATE: PRIMARY PARTICIPATION AND PUBLIC OPINION
In fall 2024, LWVCA published a white paper based on Winthrop Polling about the disconnect between mainstream SC voter opinions and the legislative direction that is coming from elected officials in the SC statehouse. The latest poll shows a similar disconnect on a new issue - redistricting - and yet again, indicates why primary participation is important to making sure our candidates represent our opinions. We've issued an update to reflect the new poll results on our home page. Take a look!
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