### ACLU Sues South Carolina Over Voter Registration Glitch Affecting Nearly 1,900 Teens

The American Civil Liberties Union has taken legal action against South Carolina, advocating for nearly 1,900 teenagers to be added to the voter rolls after a state error left them unregistered. The issue arose when the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) did not notify election officials that these teens, who checked the box to register while getting their driver's licenses, were eligible to vote. At the time of registration, the teens were 17 but would be 18 by Election Day.

A computer glitch at the SCDMV failed to identify these teens as qualified voters, preventing them from receiving an additional electronic form to confirm their citizenship status, lack of felony convictions, and other voting qualifications. The ACLU filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, just a day after early voting commenced in the state, to address the oversight. During court proceedings, ACLU lawyer Allen Chaney emphasized the importance of this issue, stating, "This is a case about a fundamental constitutional right. First-time voters are going to be wrongfully excluded from a historic election."

However, representatives for the South Carolina Election Commission, SCDMV, the General Assembly, and the Governor’s Office expressed concerns about the feasibility of resolving the registration issue in time for the current election cycle. They noted that while it is regrettable for these teenagers to miss their inaugural chance to vote, the logistics of identifying eligible voters and updating the rolls could impose significant burdens on election officials.

The incident was first noticed by a 17-year-old who found he was not on the voter rolls despite registering at the DMV. This discovery led his mother to inform a Democratic lawmaker, ultimately prompting the ACLU's involvement. Around 6,000 other teenagers affected by the same glitch managed to register after noticing they were not listed on the rolls, a discrepancy uncovered before the registration deadline earlier in the month.

State lawyers have argued that the onus was partly on the teens to ensure their registrations were complete. Still, the ACLU countered that as first-time voters, many of these individuals might not have understood that simply checking a box did not complete their registration.

Judge Daniel Coble, who previously extended the registration deadline due to Hurricane Helene, acknowledged the urgency of the situation and has assured a prompt ruling. Over 511,000 votes, approximately 15% of all eligible voters, have already been cast in the first four days of early voting in the state.

The SCDMV has cooperated with the ACLU to assess the problem's scope by reviewing each relevant application to determine if the teen had intended to register to vote. Both sides hope to prevent such an error from occurring again in future elections. Kevin Hall, representing South Carolina Senate President Thomas Alexander, stated, “We share with the ACLU the goal of free, fair, safe, and secure elections.”