South Carolina fires election chief amid federal voter-data request
Board says leadership change unrelated to voting problems as state negotiates with DOJ over data involving all voters
South Carolina fired its election director, Howard Knapp, on Thursday after a five-hour closed meeting that ended with a 3-2 vote. Board chairman Dennis Shedd said the move was a change in leadership and not connected to any voting problems, and Knapp's dismissal was effective immediately. Knapp is part of an open criminal investigation that began six months ago after a request from the state attorney general's office, according to the State Law Enforcement Division, which provided no further details.
Amid the leadership change, the five-member State Election Commission is negotiating with the U.S. Department of Justice over a broad data request that would include personal information on all of South Carolina's more than 3.3 million voters — names, addresses, driver's license numbers, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. The DOJ has sought voter data from at least 25 states and has sued Oregon and Maine after those states refused. The DOJ has not publicly explained why it needs the information. South Carolina's commission says it is working with federal officials to ensure data privacy, and notes that the state sells its voter list but does not include driver’s license numbers or partial SSNs. Talks continue, and the list has not been released.
Anne Crook, a voter who challenged the release, filed suit to block the list. A judge initially granted a restraining order to keep the data in state hands, but the South Carolina Supreme Court quickly overturned the ruling, saying the order had been improperly granted. Crook can request another order, but a hearing has not been scheduled. One of her lawyers, Democratic state Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, said there may be a legitimate reason for collecting the data but questioned the department's justification, noting that millions of residents have not committed any crime.
Knapp has not commented on his firing, which surprised lawmakers and some of his employees. The board's lack of information about the reasons for the action has raised concerns among advocates who say governance of a fundamental right must be transparent. Lynn Teague, vice president of the League of Women Voters in South Carolina, said it is essential that the process be guided by responsible management concerns rather than political interests, and that the public deserves an explanation.
Gov. Henry McMaster appoints the five members of the elections commission and requires at least one Republican and one Democrat. The commissioners select the director, subject to Senate approval. The firing comes as the state negotiates with federal officials over the data request and as privacy concerns echo across states that have encountered similar demands.
Beyond South Carolina, several states have expressed concern about the DOJ requests, citing state privacy laws and the department’s Privacy Act obligations. Some states have sent redacted versions of their voter lists, but the Justice Department has repeatedly demanded full data. The episode underscores ongoing national debate over how much personal voter information federal agencies should access and how it should be safeguarded.