A South Carolina federal court has ruled in favor of the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), granting the organization access to the state’s voter rolls. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. said South Carolina’s laws could not prevent the group from reviewing its voter registration list under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993.
South Carolina’s State Election Commission (SEC) argued that the state’s voter records could only be accessed by residents. PILF, an out-of-state election integrity group, requested access earlier this year but was denied under state law. The SEC’s decision led to a lawsuit from PILF, which challenged the legality of restricting access.
In his ruling, Judge Anderson wrote that South Carolina’s laws were in conflict with the federal mandate. He explained that the NVRA requires public access to records related to voter list accuracy, regardless of state residency. “Adherence to South Carolina law would frustrate application of the federal mandate,” Anderson said, explaining why the state must comply.
PILF’s mission is to protect election integrity by identifying ineligible voters, including those who have died or moved out of state. The group uses the data to hold states accountable through legal action. PILF’s efforts have helped expose flaws in voter list maintenance in other states, and South Carolina is the latest state to be scrutinized.
The SEC had argued that its voter list did not meet the federal definition of records concerning voter list accuracy, but the judge rejected this claim. He noted that the state’s voter list is the result of ongoing maintenance efforts to ensure accuracy.
