By Susan Bell
President, LWV of Greenville County

August 26, otherwise known as Women's Equality Day, marks the anniversary of the certification of the 19th amendment, which granted some women the right to vote.  Most white women could vote in 1920. But it would take many more years for Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American women to have the right, and the ability, to vote due to legal restrictions and Jim Crow laws.  The passage of the Voting Rights Act, 45 years after the 19th Amendment became law, finally made all women citizens eligible to vote.

Yet in 2022, women in America have fewer rights than they've had in decades.  It’s easy to take for granted things that you’ve always had, but we are learning first-hand how very fragile those rights can be.

This year, the League of Women Voters is acknowledging Women's InEquality Day, uniting to demand that lawmakers restore and protect our rights by:

1. Passing voting rights legislation.

2. Adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. 

3. Restoring reproductive rights to women and those who can become pregnant.

We have some work to do in Greenville County to get more people to stand up for themselves at the polls.  The population has grown almost 5 percent from 2020 to 2022, but the number of registered voters has declined by 7 percent.  In South Carolina, 70 percent of eligible voters are registered and 63.4 percent of those actually voted in the 2020 general election.  

Those numbers start dropping for younger demographic segments.  Fewer 18 to 44-year-olds register or vote than older segments.  In a Census poll, the number one answer they gave for not voting is that they are “not interested” (19 percent) followed closely by “too busy” (17 percent).

Our goal between now and November 8 is to get more people to the polls.  We are planning several events for September and October that we hope you will participate in and share with people who may not be as educated about the importance of voting as you are.  

Talk to your networks, especially women, and invite them to raise their voices at the polls.  Their freedom really does depend on it.