Residents, poll watchers tell Berkeley County board of widespread voting problems in November election

Residents and volunteer poll watchers told the Berkeley County Board of Voter Registration and Elections on a February 2025 meeting that operational failures during the November election undermined ballot privacy and voter access.

The comments — delivered by several speakers during public comment — catalogued problems ranging from curbside voting procedures to cut security tags and apparent gaps in poll-worker training. "The Berkeley County Republican Party takes election integrity very seriously," said Susan Salinas, a member of the Berkeley County Republican Party, adding that her group compiled a report of poll-watcher notes and had shared it with county staff. She cited South Carolina election code sections on ballot privacy and booth use, saying those provisions were not followed at curbside voting sites.

Why it matters: The speakers said the issues affected voters’ ability to vote privately and access ballots, and they asked the board and election staff to use the report to improve training and procedures.

Multiple speakers described similar problems. Victoria Cowart, chair of the Berkeley County Republican Party, said long lines at several sites amounted to voter intimidation under guidance in the State Election Commission (SEC) poll manager’s handbook and described multiple operational failures including poll managers being reassigned without complete training and electronic poll books (EPBs) kept out of public view. "Long lines and wait times are considered an emergency," Cowart said, and added that staff shortages and inconsistent training contributed to chaotic conditions at Moncks Corner and Hanahan Library.

Other observers described concrete examples: Lisa Bateman said monitors at Sand Ridge Fire Department were arranged without sufficient electrical access and were close enough that voters’ screens could be seen by people in line; she said poll managers sometimes walked behind voters and faced screens during voting. John McGrath and other poll watchers described multiple passengers remaining in the same vehicle while a curbside voter cast a ballot, which they said improperly treated vehicles as polling booths and undermined ballot privacy. Several speakers reported that security tags on voting machines were found cut and, in some cases, reattached, which raised chain-of-custody concerns.

Speakers also described problems offering provisional ballots and DMV registration transfers. Tish Go Tell Folks (identified in the transcript as a resident who works in election protection) said she took numerous calls on election day from voters who were turned away without being offered provisional ballots; she also noted longstanding problems with the state DMV failing to pass registrations for new voters. "If we don't ensure that every eligible voter receives and casts their ballot, then we've already lost the show," she said.

Board response and next steps: Chairman Don Saturday and Director Brown acknowledged receipt of the report and public comments. Director Brown and members said they would continue to work with poll managers and said the board is open to follow-up information. Board members asked speakers to provide precinct-level examples to help staff target training and operations changes.

Ending: Speakers asked for changes focused on stricter adherence to SEC poll manager guidance, consistent training records for poll managers, clearer curbside procedures to protect elderly and disabled voters, and improved chain-of-custody practices for equipment security. The board recessed later in the meeting for an executive session and stated on return that no votes were taken during that session.