LWV Charleston Area Newsletter | November 2025

This newsletter is briefer than usual but it punches above the weight of its word count! Our theme this month is 'MAKING A DIFFERENCE' through advocacy and action.

LWV Charleston Joins LWVUS Federal Lawsuit Against Ban on Nonpartisan Voter Registration Work

On November 18, the League of Women Voters US filed a lawsuit against the federal government because of anti-voter actions. LWV Charleston Area is proud to take this stand as co-plaintiffs alongside LWV Colorado, LWV New Jersey, LWV Milwaukee, and LWV Saratoga County.

We are suing the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the US Department of Homeland Security, and other federal officials for enacting — without following the required process — a new rule that bars nonpartisan civic engagement groups from providing voter registration and civic engagement at administrative naturalization ceremonies.

Registering newly naturalized citizens at USCIS ceremonies is a core and cherished part of LWV Charleston's mission to enable voters to have a voice in our democracy. We have been actively involved in this work since at least 2003. This year alone, before this rule banned our participation, our Voter Services volunteer team, led by co-Director Judy Manning, attended 128 USCIS administrative ceremonies to welcome and register 1,280 new citizens residing in South Carolina and Georgia.

Click here to read the full press release.

Read the lawsuit which includes more detail about LWV Charleston's work to advance civic participation through new citizen voter registration at naturalization ceremonies.

The decision to take this step came after discussion and consensus from

the LWVCA Board and co-Presidents Jeri Cabot and Cara Erickson.

We appreciate your support as this effort proceeds.

GLIMPSES FROM PAST NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES

Naturalization Ceremony held at Middleton Place, 2023. LWVCA volunteers have registered thousands of newly naturalized citizens since 2003.

Taken at a naturalization ceremony in 2017. Jacky Sassard (3rd from left) led this work for LWVCA at the time, and is herself a naturalized citizen.

Advocacy - S. 323 Abortion Ban Bill Fails to Advance

We are relieved that on November 18 Senate Bill 323, which proposed a draconian abortion ban, failed to pass out of committee in the statehouse. SC already has a restrictive six-week ban in place. This bill would have criminalized pregnant women, healthcare professionals, and anyone who sought to advise or help a woman seeking to make her own healthcare and reproductive decisions.

Public advocacy and opinion was critical to this outcome. We thank all who heeded League alerts to call, write, sign petitions, or show up at the Statehouse.

Sarah Petkus stepped up and went to Columbia for the Public Hearing on October 1 to make her views known. Read her account below!

Statehouse Advocate: A First Person Acccount

by Sarah Petkus

Testifying before a state senate subcommittee for the first time to oppose S.323 was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was also one of the most empowering experiences I've ever had. Thanks to the League of Women Voters' Action List emails, I had the facts I needed to feel informed and prepared to speak up. Knowing the logistics ahead of time—like parking, the building layout, and how the process typically works—helped to calm anxious feelings, too.

One thing that surprised me was that I didn’t realize how few people would actually get to speak. I was assigned number 33 when I signed up, and I barely made it to my turn before the 2.5 hour meeting ended. My voice certainly shook at first, but it was absolutely worth it.

What inspired me most was seeing how many people showed up to oppose the bill—filling the meeting room with quiet determination, maxing out the overflow room, and demonstrating outside. The numbers were so impressive that I heard multiple media outlets report on the long line of people hoping to attend the meeting and the huge crowds that turned out to voice opposition just outside. From the meeting room, I could sometimes hear the crowds outside, and if I could hear them, then that means the senators could, too. It reminded me that showing up truly matters—there’s real power in numbers. Whether you speak or simply attend, your presence counts. If you’ve ever considered testifying or attending a hearing, I would encourage you to do it—you’ll learn a lot, find your voice (even if it shakes!), and see firsthand how civic participation can make an impact.

LWVCA Election Heroes!

We want to acknowledge the volunteers and Board members who worked diligently to produce seven highly successful local candidate forums, to publish our Vote411.org election guide, and to register voters leading up to our local elections.

Our thanks to Karen Gallagher, Director, Candidate Forums, co-president Jeri Cabot, and VP Kathleen Rodgers for the heavy lifting on our well-attended and watched in-person forums; to the hard-working Vote411 team, Director Chris Symons and Claire Bush; to our Voter Services co-Directors Kathy Bennett and Judy Manning and the teams who registered voters before deadline; and to all volunteers who helped onsite and with myriad details. 👏👏

We also salute our Forum partners: The Links, Inc; NAACP Goose Creek; Folly Beach Civic Club; and East Cooper Arts Advocates, as well as our Communications team and all who helped promote the forums.

If you needed proof that every vote counts: The IOP Mayoral runoff race was decided by ONE VOTE this year. Half of one percent of votes cast. (Photo: LWV's IOP City Council Candidate Forum)

ISSUE PROGRAMS OF SPECIAL NOTE

-- Saturday, November 22 from 1-3 pm: Join a nonpartisan pro-democracy sign-waving rally organized by 50501SC at 5201 Ashley Phosphate Rd in N Charleston (same location as the last No Kings Rally).

-- LWVCA's Environmental Studies Group is following the proposed Edisto gas plant and pipeline and energy laws. Dozens of you attended our webinar on this subject or watched the video. A follow-up Zoom about opposition to this project will be held by the Charleston Climate Coalition on December 2nd. Sign up here.

-- Two MUSC health experts, Dr Kathleen Brady and Dr. Jane Joseph, gave an important, fact-filled presentation about the devastating impacts of the federal spending cuts on medical and science research. It was held downtown on November 15 and sponsored by Silence is Not An Option (SINO), a nonpartisan group. Watch the video here.

Please Donate to Power our Local Work!

Members: Save Sunday, January 11 from 2-4 pm for our Winter Members' Social Meeting! We can't wait to share details - coming soon!

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to subscribe.

Our monthly newsletters are linked to the home page of LWVCharleston.org.

Questions or comments? Email lwvcharleston@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor: Cara Erickson