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by WILL FOLKS
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South Carolina’s Republican leaders want the state’s ostensibly independent election commission (SCVotes.gov) to turn over the Palmetto State’s list of more than 3.3 million registered voters to Donald Trump‘s Department of Justice (DOJ).
Governor Henry McMaster and SCGOP chairman Drew McKissick are both on the record in support of the move, which they believe is vital to upholding election integrity. So far, though, the Palmetto State’s top election official – Howie Knapp – has refused to comply with the request.
Knapp’s board of directors met last Wednesday (August 27, 2025) to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, DOJ has given his agency until this Friday (September 5, 2025) to turn over the information.
It’s a surprising standoff in a red state which has overwhelmingly backed Trump in the last three elections – and where polls show many voters (including a majority of GOP primary voters) believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
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Complicating matters further? Knapp remains the focus of a state-level criminal investigation tied to allegations of misconduct first reported by FITSNews back in January. That inquiry is being led by investigators with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) as well as the S.C. Office of Inspector General (SCOIG).
How did all of this start?
Trump issued an executive order on March 25, 2025 directing attorney general Pam Bondi to conduct an extensive review of state records as part of a broader federal effort to “restrict non-citizens from registering to vote or voting.”
In prioritizing enforcement of this federal directive, Bondi was instructed to obtain “state-issued identification records and driver license databases.” In seeking this information, Trump’s order instructed Bondi to “enter into information-sharing agreements, to the maximum extent possible, with the chief state election official or multi-member agency of each state.”
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RELATED | S.C. ELECTIONS DIRECTOR UNDER INVESTIGATION
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Trump also empowered Bondi to “take appropriate action with respect to states that fail to comply with the list maintenance requirements of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.”
How will the feds know if states are complying? By reviewing the files, naturally…
Another purpose of the information-sharing agreements was for states to provide DOJ with “detailed information on all suspected violations of state and federal election laws discovered by state officials.”
If states declined to enter into the information-sharing agreements – or refused to assist the feds in prosecuting election crimes – Trump directed DOJ to “prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws” and to “review for potential withholding” grants and other funds distributed by the agency to state and local governments for “law enforcement and other purposes.”
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“Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic,” Trump wrote in his order. “The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
Trump also noted state governments “must safeguard American elections in compliance with federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error. According to Trump, these laws have not been “adequately enforced” with multiple states “counting ballots received after Election Day” and failing to “prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote.”
SCDP chairwoman Christale Spain recently referred to DOJ’s request as “an unacceptable, unprovoked invasion of privacy and a dangerous example of federal overreach.”
Left-leaning think tanks have gone further, accusing Trump of “pursuing a concerted strategy to undermine the next election.”
“The executive branch has no authority to run our elections, nor any authority to compile a massive database of voters’ personal information,” Eileen O’Connor of the far left Brennan Center wrote last week. “The DOJ’s efforts threaten individuals’ privacy and constitute yet another way in which the federal government is seeking to interfere with states’ constitutionally mandated power to conduct elections.”
So far, South Carolina’s elections director appears to be siding with those voices…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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5 comments
It might lead to evidence of wrong doing in state wide election races which impact everything here in SC?
If you think about it, someone only needs like 2000 votes and they’re in charge of the judicial selection or getting favors from the group.
Id be hesitant if my group of bros had someone pad votes in our races, and then the process becomes transparent to the federal government. Like no way jose, we’d all be in trouble.
With all the other “lists” and databases out there with personal information maintained and shared by states and the feds, with reciprocal access, I can’t see why our state is suddenly throwing up roadblocks to this lawful request. There are drivers lists, criminal warrant lists, various gun background check lists, immunization lists, hunting, fishing and trapping lists, lists related to taxation matters, lists related to federal welfare benefits, veterans’ benefits, social security benefits, CARES act lists pertaining to insurance coverages, just to name a few. Usually, its conservatives who voice opposition to these types of things on federal levels, but that seems to have largely evaporated over the last ten years – so why the umbrage?
Anyone can get access to SC voter registration records for a fee.
What are these people trying to cover up?????
Make Trump a deal, SC will release our voter records when he releases the full un-redacted Epstein files (you know – like he said he would).
Folks at Palantir rubbing their grubby little hands together.