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Voter Registration Deadline Extended to October 14
(SC Election Commission Release)-South Carolina citizens now have more time to register to vote ahead of the 2024 General Election after a court today ordered the voter registration deadline be extended to October 14.

The eight-day extension was ordered due to the widespread impact of Hurricane Helene. Several county voter registration offices were closed for days before being able to reopen for registration. Offices in Edgefield, Laurens, and McCormick have remained closed due to the storm. The extended deadline applies to voters in all counties.

YOU MUST REGISTER BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 14 TO VOTE IN THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION.
There are several ways to register in South Carolina, and it only takes a few minutes.
•    Register online at scVOTES.gov before midnight, Monday, October 14 (requires SC Driver’s License or DMV ID Card).
•    Download a voter registration form from scVOTES.gov. Complete and return the form to your county voter registration office:
o    By fax (must be received before midnight, Monday, October 14).
o    By email attachment (must be received before midnight, Monday, October 14).
o    By mail (must be postmarked by Monday, October 14).
•    Register in person at your county voter registration office. Most offices will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 14 for in-office registrations. Check locally for specific hours.

For more information, visit our Voting page.

State Recognition Committee Meetings

The State Recognition Committee will meet on the following days for a review of the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois and United Tribes of South Carolina:

Review #1, Wednesday, September 25, 2024 at 2 p.m. via Teams
Review #2, Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 2 p.m. at the SCCMA Conference Roon, 246 Stoneridge Dr., Ste. 250, Columbia, SC 29210

A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage: Ivan Segura

In recognition of #HispanicHeritageMonth, Daniel talks to CMA's Director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Engagement Director Ivan Segura on his passion for helping the community, meeting the love of his life, and advocacy.

The Culture Connect podcast highlights South Carolina’s minority communities with the aim of improving their quality of life, highlighting opportunities, and providing resources. Watch the episode: YouTube

SCCMA Advisory Committee and Board of Commissioners Meetings in September

The South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs will hold the following Advisory Committee and Board of Commissioners meetings:

Small and Minority Business Advisory Committee, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 10 a.m. (Virtual) (Agenda)
Board of Commissioners, Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 10 a.m. (Virtual) (Agenda)
Hispanic Latino Affairs Advisory Committee, Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Dorchester Mental Health Center, 106 Springview Lane, Summerville, SC 29485 (In Person)

The meetings will be streamed live via the Commission’s YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/c/SCCommissionforMinorityAffairs).

Those who wish to participate in the public input portion of the meeting should email your comments to info@cma.sc.gov. Comments must be received no later than noon on the day prior to the scheduled meeting. Please include the following information when submitting public comment:

Name
Phone Number
Date of Meeting
Meeting Name
Agenda Item
Comment (500 words or less)

For more information, contact the SC Commission for Minority Affairs at 803-333-9621 or info@cma.sc.gov.

The Crisis of Black Maternal Health: Disparities in South Carolina

For some pregnancy is a gift, but what happens when that gift is quickly snatched from you? On May 2, 2023, during a welfare check, this tragic fate became the reality of Olympic medalist, Tori Bowie. Bowie, 32, was found dead in her home due to pregnancy related complications. The cause was later revealed by the medical examiner to be eclampsia, which is a disorder related to high blood pressure during pregnancy. When unaddressed during pregnancy, common conditions like high blood pressure and infections can become deadly. Being an Olympic medalist did not appear to have made a difference in Bowe receiving adequate prenatal care. However, the most important variable was not her occupation, but her race. Across a range of pregnancy-related disorders, Black women have significantly higher mortality rates than White women. In our latest research brief, Statistical and Research Analyst Alicia Paige, shines a light on these statistics as they relate to the state of South Carolina. (DOWNLOAD PDF)

CMAmeets x SC ETV and Public Radio

South Carolina ETV provides the state with public educational broadcasting content, and helps communities become stronger, connected, and informed. Listen in as President & CEO Adrienne Fairwell talks about the day-to-day of her role, new partnerships, projects, and creating educational content that includes minority stories and communities in South Carolina. Watch the episode. For more information about Able SC, visit https://www.scetv.org/.

CMAmeets is a CMA studio series that highlights the important work that diverse nonprofit leaders, state agency heads, and other critical partners are doing to improve the lives of ethnic minority communities around the state. CMAmeets is accessible on the South Commission for Minority Affairs’ YouTube channel.

South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification Transferred to CMA

Effective July 3, 2024, the South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification (SMBCC) has been transferred to the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs (246 Stoneridge Drive, Ste. 250, Columbia, SC 29210). The integration of SMBCC into the Commission for Minority Affairs enhances the agency’s services and supports for small and minority businesses across the state. For more information about the Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification, visit https://smbcc.sc.gov/ or call 803-333-9621.