r/southcarolina • u/Poetryisalive Upstate • 2d ago
Serious question: Does voting Democrat even matter in this state, Sc would never turn blue right? discussion
I’m asking because I had a discussion with my co worker yesterday and he said he won’t bother to vote because SC is a republican heavy state and his 1 vote won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
I don’t really disagree because it would be historical for this state to turn blue, but thoughts?
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u/stevelover ????? 2d ago
All those people who don't vote contribute to the problem. Every vote adds up.
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u/Givingin999 ????? 2d ago
This!!! It can’t be said enough. This guys attitude is exactly why it will never go blue. As others have said down ballot voting is also extremely important. Please OP ask your co worker to rethink and have him tell others to also get out and vote
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u/ComfortableFix941 ????? 2d ago
Imagine what could happen if all those people who felt their vote didn't matter actually voted.
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u/Atwood412 ????? 2d ago
You’re assuming those that aren’t voting are democrats. They may very well not be.
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u/ComfortableFix941 ????? 2d ago
I don't care how they are registered. Everyone who is eligible should vote.
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u/Awkward_Greens North Carolina 1d ago
That's what real democracy looks like.
This is the way.I don't care how they are registered. Everyone who is eligible should vote.
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u/Frozen_Heat92 Columbia 2d ago
We have one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country. Waiting on the world to change 🎵
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u/HaiKarate Fort Mill 2d ago
Yep, and winning elections is all about the turnout.
It doesn't matter what the majority party is. It only matters who the majority are that show up to vote.
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u/Papadapalopolous ????? 2d ago
Some quick math even though I’m not from South Carolina and have no clue why this came up on my feed:
In 2020, Trump got 1.4 million votes in South Carolina, Biden got 1.1 million (43%). That’s only 2.5 million out of your 3.5 million registered voters.
Keeping that same percentage, we could guess that 44% of the 1 million registered nonvoters would have voted Biden. That’s 440,000, which could have easily swung South Carolina blue.
So yes, the people who don’t vote because they think it’s a foregone conclusion make a huge impact.
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u/Redright_Wrap88 ????? 2d ago
And who would have received the remaining 56% or 560,000 votes? Based on your own projection of Biden, it would’ve been Trump. But since he would’ve only needed to win a mere 35% or 350,001 of the 1,000,000 registered voters who didn’t vote, I think it’s highly unlikely they would’ve changed the outcome.
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u/Pound-of-Piss ????? 2d ago
100,000 people all thinking "my vote wouldn't matter", does, in fact matter.
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u/OldSpeckledHen ????? 2d ago
Yep... recent looks at Texas show that the big 4 Democrat leaning cities in TX and the solidly Republican counties in TX have roughly the exact same number of people. If the Democrats there would just stop believing "TX is red and my vote doesn't matter" they could actually make a massive difference.
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u/Kraegarth ????? 2d ago
One of the primary reasons that Republicans in Texas are trying to create their own version of the Electoral College for all Texas, statewide elections…
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u/ChicagoLesPaul Charleston 2d ago
It absolutely matters. Apathy is how we are in our current situation. These batshit crazy loons win their primary with less than 3% of the vote in their districts. Everyone should vote in every election.
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u/scfoothills ????? 2d ago
I vote D in every race because the only way the Democratic Party will ever try here is if they see margins narrowing. Not voting because there is no chance in a particular election makes it impossible to see that demographics are changing, even if the changes are slow. I also leave my ballot blank for unopposed Rs. I want it to be noticeable that there is a difference in the total number of ballots cast than votes for a Republican candidate. If enough people do this, it might show that there is a desire for someone else, and maybe the R candidate won't be unopposed next time.
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u/TIErant ????? 2d ago
You should write someone in. If you leave a blank, it isn't counted in the total for that race.
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u/actuallycallie ????? 2d ago
I also leave my ballot blank for unopposed Rs.
I always write in some name. Even if it's just made up. I want them to know that I am purposefully NOT voting for them, that I didn't just accidentally leave it blank.
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u/Muscles_McGeee Upstate 2d ago
Every blue vote shows that there are Democrats here that want to vote. Those numbers show the DNC that it is worth supporting candidates for various offices in the state. If a few win, that could make major improvements which could cascade into more votes for Democrats down the line. Is it possible to turn the state blue for president? Quite unlikely, perhaps, but president isn't everything.
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u/Chrispeedoff ????? 2d ago
Voter Apathy based on location is one of the most successful republican political strategies in the history of our country. It allows them to enact agendas without any kind of compromise. Voting is a right people have died to provide for us. It can significant especially in smaller communities .
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u/soda-city Columbia 2d ago
Very much so.
Even in the minority, it’s about forcing these Republicans to moderate. Until very recently (2-4 years ago) Democrats in the legislature held enough seats to keep Republicans from passing truly horrific legislation, because they were able to use the rules to stop the kinds of laws we are now facing.
Even now, Democrats only need to retain their current state senators and flip seven seats to take control of the upper chamber. A long shot to be sure, but not impossible. It’s a longer shot for the House but change will only come if you want it, and if you vote for it.
Dems controlling the state senate again will force real negotiations with a Republican House about to fall to its most extreme members and the governor who literally unleashed that criminal Trump upon this land. And gridlock will sound like progress compared to this last legislative session.
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u/Medium-Dimension482 ????? 2d ago
Just being realistic, vote for moderates in Republican primaries. This would lead to an outcome that is far more representative of the state. We’re not turning blue any time soon.
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u/Traditional-Job-411 ????? 2d ago
An example: If he voted in the primaries that the lady GOP members were in they could have won. Now we have a fully male GOP party. The ladies were the only ones voting against anti-abortion in the GOP.
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u/MsMacGyver ????? 2d ago
The moderates are being left behind. They just lost the last 3 females in the SC republican party during the primaries. Our daughters lives are in danger.
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u/Medium-Dimension482 ????? 2d ago
Yep. But plenty more are still running and losing in the primaries. Let’s support them.
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u/MsMacGyver ????? 2d ago
I'm voting D all the way. I am taking my kids and anyone who needs a ride because they need to know how important this is. The school board elections worry me. We had a moderate school board, but Weaver is out to destroy public education, and they changed the way our board is elected this year after the made changes to give M4L a leg up.
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u/lagunatri99 ????? 2d ago
Heck, I’d settle for purple. I moved from a very red state and kept my registration as GOP for the same reason I registered GOP when I was there—to be able to vote in primaries to keep crazy fringe candidates off the ballot. The bombastic fringes on both sides contribute to the lack of civility and divisiveness. Trump emboldened everyone with his abhorrent behavior. Collaborating to address issues seems lost on our elected officials. Fear of the vocal fringes in their parties likely contributes to this. Sad to see the Sisters lose their seats here and shame on SC voters. Anyone who claims to be a libertarian is likely a liar.
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u/0dinsPride Lowcountry 2d ago
It absolutely matters. I’ve worked in SC politics for years, and some of these state legislature races (not to mention school board or city/county council) are won and lost by only tens or hundreds of votes.
There is ALWAYS a reason to vote.
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u/improper84 ????? 2d ago
Not voting is essentially a vote for Republicans regardless of where you live. They thrive off of the rest of us not voting because we feel it's pointless. They've been working to make voting feel meaningless for decades exactly so people like your coworker stay at home in November.
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u/deaconxblues ????? 2d ago
In the 2020 election the SC split was 55.1% v 43.4%. The state is more purple than it seems.
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u/Interesting-Cap3038 ????? 2d ago
Shouldn't we be concentrating on the issues and the candidates stance on said issues and not their political party?
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u/insecurecharm ????? 2d ago
Your coworker is just lazy. My mom didn't really bother voting until the Tea Party shenanigans started up, but she's got her 74 year old stroke survivor ass right out there with me every time, voting blue.
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u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord Can Jeff Duncan resign already 2d ago
It will never turn purple or blue if voters have the mindset it’s red and will always be red.
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u/Zestyclose_Big_9090 ????? 2d ago
Please vote. I understand what you’re saying but still…voting is import and I beg you to do it.
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u/Majestic-Ad6525 ????? 2d ago
Other people had great responses with many reasons why you should still vote. I have one more I haven't seen but may be repeated..
Instilling a sense of hopelessness in the opposition is an extremely cost effective way to entrench power. If they want to keep the state in a way that you don't think benefits you or the state, at least make them pay for the privilege.
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u/mrsbennetsnerves ????? 1d ago
I read something the other day about hopelessness being a key tool of autocrats. That helped pull me out of my downward spiral after the Supreme Court rulings of the past week.
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u/Cute_Appointment6457 Charleston 2d ago
Are you kidding? The local races are even more important than the national. SC is a super majority Republican so they basically can do to us whatever they want. VOTE, vote blue and just keep on showing up💙💙💙💙
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u/AdReasonable2094 ????? 1d ago
Well if a very small number of people had voted differently in 2016 we wouldn’t have lost so much freedom.
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u/ramblinjd Chahleston 2d ago edited 2d ago
Your vote can do a few things:
*For president it can add to the national popular vote. Even if SC electoral votes go to a candidate you didn't vote for (because we KNOW who's getting them), a president who won the electoral vote but not the popular vote will be more likely to wheel and deal with the opposition because they know their majority is thin. Even if you vote third party it can also help elevate the policy espoused by your third party candidate (we KNOW the libertarian candidate won't get any electoral votes, but if they managed to get 10% of the popular vote, the folks in Washington might realize they have swung too much in the big-state/central-authority direction and adjust their policy appropriately towards individual liberty to maintain their grip on power).
*For presidents who don't respect democracy, they're much more likely to launch an insurrection if they sweep several states and only narrowly lose in the swing states. If a hypothetical candidate who promises to be a dictator for some hypothetical period of time just barely wins the "safe" states like SC and loses the rest, he's likely to be much less bold in encouraging riots.
*Down ballot races are often much more competitive. Getting a good mixture of people in our state house is the best way to put some checks on the power of the "good old boys" who are all buddies and all vote yes for each other's pet projects and then accidentally lose a billion dollars of your tax money.
*Edit one more: even if Trump gets our EC votes and wins the presidency, were only like 2 states away from the national popular vote compact being a thing. Another EC victory with a popular vote loss would help push it over the limit, and it would make your vote count way more, so it's a good thing for us.
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u/SelectionNo3078 ????? 2d ago
It’s a good thing we don’t have a presidential candidate like that
I’d think that a person like that sounds like someone who engaged in actual sedition/treason and should have been in jail ever since the day after they tried to overthrow the GD government
We’re kind of f’d right now
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u/Acrobatic-Sky6763 ????? 2d ago
SC has had a lot of people move into the state. We aren’t quite sure how red or blue it will be moving forward.
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u/LateStageAdult ????? 1d ago
the only reason SC isn't already blue is becuase less than 20% of the citizens vote.
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u/Mountain-Pattern7822 ????? 2d ago
while that mat be true, its about sending a message also. lots of liberal northerners are moving down to red states and we need to send a message that the old christian conservative ways are no longer acceptable. so please vote. every vote does count.
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u/insecurecharm ????? 2d ago
Where are these mythical liberal northerners? Every transplant I encounter is a MAGAt that came to set fire to our LCOL.
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u/anonkraken Hanahan 2d ago
This feels real in my experience. Yes, many of my neighbors are californians or new yorkers, but none of them are liberal and often cite their homestate politics as one of the reasons they moved here.
I’d love to think it’s a bunch of yankee libs but it doesn’t seem to be.
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u/No_Cook_6210 ????? 2d ago
The ones who move for politics are usually the worst. They think everyone is of the same mindset here and don't care to understand southern culture. This seems to be the Covid effect.
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u/No_Cook_6210 ????? 2d ago
The more centrist or liberal ones don't speak up. Trust me, they are here :-)
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u/ProudPatriot07 Charleston 2d ago
I think that maybe some of the folks who moved here pre-COVID were average northerners, and included some folks who are more moderate or maybe liberal.
But since COVID happened, it seems like everyone who moves here does so because they thought they were "political prisoners" in their previous states since they had to wear a mask... sigh.
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u/No_Cook_6210 ????? 2d ago
A lot of MAGAS are moving down here from northern states. They are the worst, and I'm originally from up there but have been here forever. Some of those people are reminding me of the people I wanted to get away from.
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u/Playful_73 ????? 2d ago
If Georgia can turn blue SC can...it's just going to take a while
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u/actuallycallie ????? 2d ago
DOWN BALLOT VOTES MATTER MORE THAN PRESIDENT. The reason half the school boards are now filled with Moms for Liberty shills is because people won't get off their asses and vote except once every four years.
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u/Equivalent_Nerve_870 ????? 2d ago
In SC, one primary race was won last month with 37 votes and another by 120 so yes every vote matters. Approx 10% or less of registered voters decided who the candidates will be in Nov. And we can only hope to hit 50% voting then due to propaganda contributing to voter apathy. Tell your friend to get of their ass and vote dammit.
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u/maeryclarity ????? 2d ago
It definitely matters, and if nothing else keeps pressure on representatives from either party not to give in to the most extreme positions of their party's platforms. It argueable matters a LOT this election cycle since so much has been done to throw red meat specifically TO the party's most extreme positions. You just saw three respected Republican women primaried out of their seats because they took a stand against a near total abortion ban and that total abortion ban is on the agenda for SC. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE you never know what kind of upset we might be looking at this cycle.
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u/Thorn_and_Thimble ????? 2d ago
Do it anyway. It never ceases to amaze me that people will swear up and down that things won’t ever change and yet do nothing to affect any change whatsoever. Even if I’m drowned out in a sea of red, I’m going down fighting.
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u/mcfreeky8 SC Expatriate 2d ago
Tell your coworker to vote. Vote, vote, vote. We need to have an accurate understanding of where our politics stand to figure out what it will take to shift the tide (if that ever happens, sigh).
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u/jericho-dingle Greenville 2d ago
I am a Democrat by obligation. I vote in every Republican primary because Democrats don't run in a lot of the local races and I get a lot more power voting in the GOP primary. When I say every election I mean every election, even down to the dog catcher.
If you want a bunch of knuckle dragging bible thumpers running the city and region, keep sitting out elections.
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u/Ryiujin ????? 2d ago
Sc is much more diverse that people believe. It is heavily black down state and can turn purple by voting in more democratic representatives in the state legislature. Those representatives can have an effect on fixing the gerrymandering going on, moving the state to a more representative version of itself on the national stage.
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u/Poetryisalive Upstate 2d ago
Most black people want to leave SC because of low wages and racism. I was one of them lol, a lot aren’t there by choice
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u/TaliesinGirl ????? 2d ago
Check out the by precinct numbers from 2020. Many parts of SC are just barely red. There are more than enough voters to flip the state if only they would make the effort to vote.
Voter turnout in SC is abysmal
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u/snakesssssss22 ????? 2d ago
We got that one Democrat to beat an incumbent Republican once in Charleston in like 2018. That was pretty exciting
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u/Cleargummybear2 ????? 2d ago
The solid South is broken, and things can change in just a few election cycles.
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u/wanderingway64 ????? 2d ago
Same situation in TN. I want to vote to continue to make obvious the disconnect between the popular vote and the electoral college process.
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u/hippielady5232 Upstate 2d ago
IF EVERYONE VOTED WHO SAID THIS VOTED IT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. The state inches closer and closer to a 50/50 split nearly every presidential election.
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u/Competitive_Boss1089 ????? 2d ago
Please PLEASE vote. Your vote absolutely counts, particularly in down ballot races. I would argue that down ballot races tend to impact your day to day life more than say, the presidential race. Although, the President is obvi an important race.
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u/chazd1984 ????? 2d ago
Your co-worker is right. BUT how many people do you think don't bother to vote because there's NO WAY SC will go blue? If you voted and your co-worker voted that's 2 more, and if a good portion of those blue voters who sit it out started voting, then less people will sit out because it gets more and more possible that a left winger could win. It's not an overnight thing, but every state that was red that is now purple or blue has to start somewhere.
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u/FallFlower24 Upstate 2d ago
We absolutely need would be blue voters to vote. Federal government is only part of the battle. Lack of involvement is why our state legislature is super red. Many legislators are in their seats because they ran unopposed as well. For those who have a non-conservative challenger, that person could very well be elected if people would vote. Conservatives bank on lack of involvement from the left, if they even worry about the left at all. 40% of voters voted for Biden in 2020, 40% for Cunningham in 2022. There’s blue representation across the state but it may be 1-2 democrats on county council with 10 republicans. Imagine if just 300,000 more people on left voted. Big change would happen.
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u/zback636 ????? 2d ago
Not if the Democrats in that state think it’s a waste of time to vote. It will never change. .
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u/Equal_Newspaper_8034 ????? 2d ago
It’s not about voting for President. There are state offices, local elections. Those are important too
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u/pharrison26 ????? 2d ago
Bro, Texas almost turned Blue last election. Georgia did. People like your co worker are the reason Sc hasn’t. Every vote counts. Tell that dude to stop being lazy and just spend the fifteen minutes to vote. 🤦🏻♂️
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u/PorcelainTorpedo ????? 2d ago
It always matters. I don’t live in SC, don’t even have any ties to it or the south outside of vacations. But I’ve lived in Arizona, and have seen it turn blue. I’ve seen NC and GA turn blue, something I never thought I’d see happen again post-2000.
It sounds so cliche because it is, but every vote counts and how things are today doesn’t mean they’ll be that way tomorrow. Hell, my home state of Missouri used to be reliably purple, and now it’s as bright red as Alabama. I live in Ohio now and it’s similar trajectory as Missouri. I’m starting to think I’m bad luck.
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u/alyxana ????? 2d ago
If enough of us who feel like our blue votes won’t make a difference actually go out and vote, there’s a chance it might actually make a difference.
Yes, each of us only has one vote to spend and one single vote isn’t going to change SC purple. But there are thousands of us who feel like our “one vote won’t matter” and if all of us actually voted… well… Georgia turned purple last time. We know it’s possible.
If Georgia can flip, so can we. Vote.
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u/InvestigatveRsourcer ????? 1d ago
Last time Lindsey Graham was up for re election he had a surprisingly close race, at least for red SC. Might just be that people don't like lindsey though.
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u/soca_girl ????? 1d ago
I have seen tied elections and elections literally won by ONE VOTE. Yes, your vote matters.
And of course they don’t want you to vote. Why would you listen to that advice?
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u/Professional_Act5909 ????? 1d ago
I'm a democrat in South Carolina and I always vote because that is my duty as an American citizen but I will also stress that I'm not naive. My vote being a Democrat in SC is a waste of time. There is absolutely no chance any dem has a chance to win in this state. Proof of that is Lindsay Graham, who is a national joke, and that idiot Tim Scott, who literally on national tv walked up to the mic next to Donald Trump and said "Oh I just loves you Donald." What a F@#$$Ng clown Scott is. No, sadly voting as a democrat in this state is a waste of time.
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u/groundhog-265 ????? 1d ago
Voting all blue. These “republicans” are turning our country into an autocracy. This SCOTUS is an embarrassment to our founding fathers and our constitution.
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u/lmacmil2 ????? 1d ago
You pull the "D" lever in a red state, not because it will make a difference, but because you want to support the candidates you agree with.
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u/AuroraLorraine522 Greenville 1d ago
I’m sure plenty of folks thought the same thing about Georgia.
We’ll never be a blue state if people stay home instead of voting, that’s for sure. And we’re really more purple than straight red (but gerrymandered to shit). My voting district is very blue.
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u/EnslavedBandicoot ????? 1d ago
People not bothering to vote is why Republicans control all these areas. It's exactly what they want.
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u/Anubus_the_Wayfinder ????? 1d ago
Always vote and always vote your true preferences no matter what the crowd around you choose to do! The only way things have the possibility of peaceful change is if the citizens of each state vote according to their needs and then require their elected officials to represent those needs. Down ballot elections are very important because those people have the greatest ability to affect your daily life!
Americans of voting age have one true responsibility to each other, and that is to vote. Never let anyone discourage you from your right to vote...for any reason.
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u/ImpulsiveTortoise ????? 1d ago
Tell your friend that it absolutely does matter. I’m from Kansas, and was often told the same exact thing. But we’ve managed to win some elections recently. It takes everyone to be engaged to make it happen. It might not happen this time either, but as more democrats get involved, a movement can form. Look at Georgia and Arizona as a few other examples of places people are often told that democrat votes don’t matter.
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u/misfitgarden ????? 2d ago
I've been taking that swing since the 80s here with very little to show for it but ill keep on. Dems have pushed health care for decades while Rs have fought it so the choice is easy for me.
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u/MeatloafingAround ????? 2d ago
It feels like it's not worth it but it everyone who felt that, voted blue, we might turn purple at the very least. But as others have mentioned, it's not the presidential vote that matters the most, it's the house representatives and school board seats that matter. That's where the batshit crazy fucks start their political careers.
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u/MsMacGyver ????? 2d ago
Then the SC GOP achieved its goal to discourage any voters other than conservatives to show up. My ex is the same. I told him he fell for the ruse that his vote doesn't count so he shouldn't bother. I told him all they had to do was keep spreading that BS enough and it would be true.
We have a HORRIBLE turnout for the primaries. People won't or can't take time to go vote.
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u/jesuswasahipster ????? 2d ago
1 vote won't make a difference but, 100,000 people who don't vote because they believe one vote doesn't make a difference sure as shit makes a difference.
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u/punkmanmatthew ????? 2d ago
Is everyone in this sub Democrat or something?
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u/sc167kitty8891 ????? 1d ago
no, just educated thinking individual invested in saving democracy
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u/AuroraLorraine522 Greenville 1d ago
No, I’m actually a Socialist but I vote Democrat.
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u/Kool61577 ????? 2d ago
I do it. Voted in the republican primary this year. Also did the down ballot stuff.
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u/DarceysEyeOnThePrize ????? 2d ago
For the love of god, this state needs your blue vote. Please vote! 💙
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u/BillyIdolStoleMyCart ????? 2d ago edited 2d ago
SC has been red since 94 and been getting redder every year. SC’s state legislature is currently the reddest it’s been since 1874.
The people moving here are not predominantly democrats at all, they are more likely to vote GOP by quite a bit.
There is ZERO chance SC turns blue. ZERO.
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u/ForThePantz ????? 2d ago
No! You have to vote. There are local initiatives that make voting important. You can’t just quit. Make your voice heard.
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u/doodoomrpoopyman University of South Carolina 2d ago
It shows that theres support for the democrats, even in the deep red
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u/Poetryisalive Upstate 2d ago
Truly. At the same time this is Reddit which is definitely more blue leaning if anything but I agree I think a lot of people want actual change in SC, but the old guard won’t go down
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u/Logical_Lettuce_962 Charleston 2d ago
If that number increases each year, more and more people will recognize it as a possibility.
Kind of like voting third party. Youre not going to fix anything this election cycle by voting dem, but you’ll move the needle over time for sure
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u/yankeerebel62 ????? 2d ago
Every democrate vote cancels out a republican vote. Every republican vote cancels out a Democrat vote.
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u/fingerpuppet360 ????? 2d ago
If everyone that thinks this way would get out and vote then the chances of turning the state would increase exponentially. It would still be a long shot but it will definitely not flip if you don’t vote.
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u/Neat-Beautiful-5505 ????? 2d ago
Here are two options: 1) vote early then use your time to recruit others to vote blue for a candidate who’s polling close; or, 2) vote early then got to North Carolina to volunteer Saturday to Election Day (Tuesday) for the Dems.
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u/duke_awapuhi Edgefield County 2d ago
Republicans were almost completely non-existent in SC less than a century ago. That didn’t stop them from spending decades slowly making inroads in the state at chipping away at Democratic hegemony until they won control. There’s no reason to think democrats wouldn’t be able to do the same thing starting now. SC can definitely turn Democratic again, it just won’t be happening any time soon
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u/OldStDick ????? 2d ago
There's more on the ballot than just the president. Your coworker is ignorant.
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u/cassiecas88 ????? 2d ago
At the very least it shows the importance of the popular vote and shows them the demographics.
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u/Neither_Character_35 ????? 2d ago
I live in SC I am Blue I really don’t care . But either way we are screw 🤷🏼♀️.
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u/JustDiscoveredSex ????? 2d ago
Of course it’s important.
I get it, I live in one of those states, too.
But in some swing states Biden only won by 12,000 votes. So it DOES matter.
Plus the down ballot votes are always welcome. Our national turnout is AWFUL. A small minority of people are getting to make (terrible) decisions for all of us, because we just give up.
I volunteer as an election judge. Every single vote matters. All of them.
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u/msproles ????? 2d ago
SC has had a democrat as a governor before so it’s possible. May not matter for national election but may count for state and local. Please vote. Apathy is what they are hoping for.
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u/StudioGangster1 ????? 2d ago
This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If EVERY person in the country voted, the Dems would win every state. But people don’t believe it until they start to see the vote margins narrow. Every vote matters because it is one step closer to switching the narrative.
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u/missionz3r0 Dorchester County 2d ago
On the historical discussion.
Check out the historical districts over at wikipedia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina's_congressional_districts
Compare the maps of 1973-1982 to today's maps. The gerrymandering is obvious once you compare to the two.
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u/SunBalasta ????? 2d ago
Still better to vote than not vote. The more people take the it doesn’t matter anyway attitude the more it will become a self fulfilling prophecy.
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u/Odd_Tiger_2278 ????? 2d ago
Vote in all federal, state and local elections. Top to bottom Dem. Don’t forget school boards or other “ground level” committees that can have a lot of impact. And ~ never never never vote for 3rd ( or 4 th or 5th) party candidates. They ALWAYS weaken the large party that has policies closest to the.
Voting 3rd party is worse than wasting a vote. It hurts the party that is most likely to support most of your goals.
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u/ComoHielo Charleston 2d ago
The registered voters for each party are closer in number than you might expect. It really all gets down to messaging and turnout, but by and large SC is a reliable red state. There are blue areas along the coast and in the cities.
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u/Actual_Sprinkles_291 ????? 2d ago
Maybe not on the national level but goodness hell on the state and local level yeah!
I’m from NC and this is exactly how the GOP has been working to turn our state red after its been blue/purple. Like right now, if a bunch of folks here didn’t vote at all because they think NC is a lost cause for the president vote, we’d lose their vote on kicking out Sir Racist McBigot for governor and Karen MAGA for superintendent over our children.0
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u/Historical-Sky2776 ????? 2d ago
Even though it is not how candidates win, its important to know what the popular vote is.
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u/vamartha North Carolina 2d ago
I had never voted a straight party ticket in my life until the last two elections and that was out of sheer frustration. My parents taught me to vote for the person not the party and at age 18 I decided to register as an independent. Thank you Mom and Dad. (I'm 65, I have voted in a lot of elections.)
I don't live in SC but I've worked in SC for the past 15 years. I care about what happens in SC because it affects my work life. The local representatives, the state representatives, all of those people can make or break the area where I work. They make decisions about roads. They make decisions about housing. They make decisions about taxes. All of that has bearing on my commute which is 1 hour each way and all of it is in SC. I live about 1 mile from the state line. It also has a bearing on whether my employer can afford to keep me or not.
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u/rroute01 ????? 2d ago
If you don't vote, then don't bitch. You give up that right when you fail to participate in the process
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u/ShadowGLI ????? 2d ago
Georgia went blue,
Major cities have blue areas….
That said, yeah it’s your local election that’s going to be more easily swayed. It’s not uncommon to see tallies in the 4-5 digit range down ballot, particularly off presidential elections. The only way blue wins is if blue votes.
The boomers have fuck all else to do besides be angry and vote, you need to be equally angry and tell them you’re not on their lawn and to stfu
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u/Royal_Inspector8324 ????? 2d ago
You should always vote with your conscious. If you feel like voting one way or the other you should absolutely do so.
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u/Equal_Newspaper_8034 ????? 2d ago
I wish people would take civics class in school more seriously. It’s so important
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u/Dramatic-Ant-9364 ????? 2d ago
Patriots send $500 to Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert to help President Trump with 5 critical projects:
1. rename Grand Canyon National Park to Trump National Park
2. release January 6th hostages from prison and pardon Donald Trump,
3. restore President Trump’s Rights of Prima Nocta and gun ownership,
4. remove women's healthcare rights as requested by Christian Nationalists.
5. replace George Washington on the dollar bill with Donald Trump.
President Trump is the only accused sexual predator and 34-time convicted criminal felon endorsed by Kristi Noem, Gary Busey, Randy Quaid, Vladimir Putin and 6 of 9 U.S. Supreme Court Justices.
/MAGA
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u/williamtrausch ????? 2d ago
Exercise your civic duty: vote. Vote in every election. Up and down ballot. Do your homework: vote for candidates who best reflect your values. Vote regardless of majority in any state or county jurisdiction. Voting matters. Voting is our collective voice in sustaining our Democracy. Vote for the party and candidates that work for our common good. If that means Vote Democratic, and it does, then do so each and every election without hesitation.
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u/Lulu_Draconis ????? 1d ago
South Park made a whole episode about not voting where the entire town shunned Stan for not wanting to vote between a douche and a turd but the concept is the same how can your vote count if you're not voting. Whether your candidate wins or not your vote still counts.
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u/BOSSLong ????? 1d ago
Ha turned Blue. So anything is possible IF people get out and vote… but it for sure won’t happen if people like him convince other to be last. They are taking the opportunity away from them selves and others imo.
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u/Awkward_Greens North Carolina 1d ago
Voting for what you want when you want it always matters. Your action become historical record and even an election lost can be a powerful show of force.
Low numbers on the historical record will be interpreted as low-interest, making it harder to rally people in the future.
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u/-LovelyLiz ????? 1d ago
Local issues are also important if you believe in different things you should make your voice heard
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u/ConflictDependent923 ????? 1d ago
Please please PLEASE vote here if you’re a Democrat. I feel like a lot of dems don’t vote bc they feel like their vote doesn’t matter, it does, even in a red state!
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u/divisiveindifference ????? 1d ago
The fact they fight every year to stop you from voting speaks to why it's important. Not to mention, there were close calls in a lot of races so yes every vote does matter. Tell your friend he is the problem
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u/Dev_Grendel ????? 17h ago
If every person voted it would go instantly blue.
People don't vote because they think it will always be red.
SOUTH CAROLINA IS A BLUE STATE.
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u/Impressive_Narwhal ????? 17h ago
Only 43% of South Carolina identifies as Republican or leans republican. 39 percent identifies as Democrat with 18 percent unaffiliated, if every Democrat shows up and convinces an unaffiliated voter to vote Democrat it could happen. So many states don't have a party majority but only a narrow plurality. Tell your coworker this.
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u/OldSpeckledHen ????? 2d ago
This year's election has very little to do with Trump or Biden... Without hyperbole, this year's election is everyone having a say on whether the US remains recognizable as a democratic republic or takes a large step towards Christian Theocracy/Dictatorship. This year it is extremely important to have your voice be heard (voter turnout absolutely sends a message). We are now seeing the disaster of what happens when a president as corrupt and morally bankrupt as Trump is able to stack the Supreme Court. Steadily they start stripping away protections, and now making rulings directly in his favor. Dictatorship is absolutely on the table now that the Supreme Court has said a president has immunity and is allowed to commit crimes while executing official presidential power. That should have everyone terrified and the one thing we all have the ability to do is show up and vote. I would also say that even if you truly believe that your ballot won’t directly improve your own life, it can positively affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of others. I've lived in GA the last 20 years, and I've watched the red to blue shift happen. I just moved to SC this weekend and can't wait to register to vote and will, at the very least, send a message that I won't be intimidated into staying home because "SoUTh caRoLiNa iS a ReD sTaTE"!
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u/ImpossibleFront2063 ????? 2d ago
They literally forced out republican women in office because they dared to advocate for women leaving alt right Christian nationalists in charge of dictating women’s issues in the state so….
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u/BossStatusIRL Fort Mill 2d ago
If all of the insert your political affiliation voted, your side would 100% win regardless of where the election was being held, or for what position.
I believe that if all the democrats in SC actually voted, they would win every single election (at least the first time that happened). I believe that something similar could happen in CA if all republicans voted.
The weird thing is, people are actually making their vote worthless by saying “my vote doesn’t matter”, and then not voting.
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u/CommonSensei8 ????? 2d ago
100% yes, there are tons of local elections that can be swayed with every single vote. VOTE, and bring your friends/family with you!
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u/LimeGinRicky ????? 2d ago
If you don’t vote you can’t complain. Voting cancels out one of the republicans.
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u/__DeezNuts__ Columbia 2d ago
Down-ballot voting is important too, it includes state and local reps, and local issues. Just cause they don’t think they can make a difference voting for the presidential candidate doesn’t mean they should ignore the rest of the ballot.