A judge in South Carolina has ruled that nearly 1,900 teens will not be able to reopen their voter registration after a glitch at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) prevented them from registering to vote as they obtained their driver's licenses. These teens were 17 at the time of their DMV visit but would turn 18 by Election Day. The DMV's computers failed to identify them as eligible voters and did not prompt them to complete an additional form certifying their eligibility to vote.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit to reopen registration for these teens, but the judge deemed it too late to make such a significant change to the voting rolls so close to Election Day. The ruling was supported by lawyers representing the South Carolina Election Commission, the SCDMV, the General Assembly, and the Governor's Office, who cited the challenges of addressing registration issues while early voting was already underway.
