Controversial activist group has made no waves in S.C.

ACORN pulled out 2 years ago after SLED started probe

A national activist organization making headlines for its controversial voter registration drives once had a presence in South Carolina but pulled up stakes after the State Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into its registration efforts in the Columbia area two years ago.

That investigation is ongoing, a SLED official said, declining further comment.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known commonly as ACORN, operated from an office on Hampton Street in downtown Columbia, but that office has closed.

Richland County Voter Registration Director and Chairwoman Lillian McBride said SLED was contacted about two years ago after a resident showed up in her office with a new voter registration card that she didn't apply for.

"She said that (the application) wasn't her handwriting, her signature, and we knew what group that came from," McBride said. ACORN officials had talked with her before beginning their voter registration drive that year. Ultimately, they handed in many registration forms that year, but her office found questions with a few. "There weren't a whole lot of them — maybe less than 15," she said.

McBride said the group also may have been active in neighboring Lexington County, but its efforts apparently never extended into the Lowcountry. Charleston County Elections and Voter Registration Director Marilyn Bowers said she has not heard of them.

ACORN has signed up 1.3 million young voters nationwide, many of them young, poor or minorities, but its practices have triggered fraud investigations in eight states.

North Carolina officials also have questioned the group's voter forms and are investigating suspect voter forms in at least two counties.

ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan has said the group's voter registration efforts have been remarkable and the vast majority of its workers are conscientious and dedicated.

But he was unsure how many workers had been fired for purposely turning in duplicate applications or applications with bogus information.

In any case, the group has not made any waves in South Carolina in the run-up to the Nov. 4 election. Officials at both the S.C. State Election Commission and S.C. Attorney General's Office say they have heard of no recent specific complaints.

"Of course, we've heard from concerned voters and citizens calling to raise concerns generally about ACORN based on what's been reported in the national media, but we've heard of no specific concerns about ACORN's activities here in South Carolina," Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said.

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com.

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