The League of Women Voters of South Carolina (LWVSC) is a left-of-center voter project that supports feminism, abortion access, and voter access. The LWVSC claims to be a nonpartisan organization that looks to offer members insight into policies and candidates’ positions through advocacy, though it frequently aligns with other left-of-center advocacy groups including Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. ^{1 2}

Activities

The League of Women Voters of South Carolina faced criticism from Republicans for backing left-leaning positions, such as abortion, gender transitions for minors, and for accusing the Republican Party of election interference. ³

The LWVSC submitted petitions bills that would limit and prohibit abortion for up to six weeks in the state. In 2024, a coalition of community and advocacy organizations, of which the LWVSC was a member along with Planned Parenthood, initiated a campaign to repeal a state-wide abortion ban. ⁴

In January 2024, the LWVSC opposed House Bill 4626, which would limit gender reassignment surgery for minors, arguing that the South Carolina government would undermine individual rights and disregard medical standards. ⁵

In August 2024, alongside the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the LWVSC challenged attempts by the state’s right-leaning lawmakers to reshape Congressional districts after the 2020 census, claiming it constituted an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the state constitution. ⁶

Funding

According to its 2021 tax returns, the League of Women Voters of South Carolina had total revenue of $60,505, total assets of $84,903, and expenses of $45,582. ⁷

On its 2022 tax returns, LWVSC reported total revenue of $ 64,698, total assets of $62,011, and expenses of $55,090. ⁸

1. League of Women Voters of South Carolina, “Our Mission & Vision,” MyLO, April 18, 2022, https://my.lwv.org/south-carolina-state/about-us/our-mission-vision.
2. The League of Women Voters of South Carolina, “Testimony to the House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee: S.474,” May 8, 2023, https://www.lwv.org/Savannah Moss, “New Lawsuit Claims SC Lawmakers ‘violated’ State Constitution after Redrawing Maps,” MSN, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/new-lawsuit-claims-sc-lawmakers-violated-state-constitution-after-redrawing-maps/ar-BB1r0NoM.
3. Megan O’Matz, “Republicans Turn against the League of Women Voters,” ProPublica, August 18, 2022, https://www.propublica.org/article/league-of-women-voters-gop-trump.
4. The League of Women Voters of South Carolina, “Testimony to the House Constitutional Laws Subcommittee: S.474,” May 8, 2023, https://www.lwv.org/.
5. League of Women Voters Of South Carolina, “H. 4624 LWVSC Testimony,” January 9, 2024, https://my.lwv.org/sites/default/files/leagues/wysiwyg/South%20Carolina/h._4624_house_testimony.pdf.
6. Savannah Moss, “New Lawsuit Claims SC Lawmakers ‘violated’ State Constitution after Redrawing Maps,” MSN, 2024, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/new-lawsuit-claims-sc-lawmakers-violated-state-constitution-after-redrawing-maps/ar-BB1r0NoM.
7. Andrea Suozzo et al., “League of Women Voters of South Carolina Incorporated, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer,” ProPublica, May 9, 2013, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/576026436/202342859349200334/full.
8. Andrea Suozzo et al., “League of Women Voters of South Carolina Incorporated, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer,” ProPublica, May 9, 2013, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/576026436/202343189349202854/full.