South Carolina’s Election Chief Ousted Amid Federal Voter Data Demands—What’s Really at Stake?

In a startling move that raises more questions than answers, South Carolina’s election director Howard Knapp was dismissed immediately following a closed-door meeting of the State Election Commission. The commissioners offered no clear explanation beyond the vague notion that it was “time for a change.” The timing could not be more politically charged: this firing coincides with tense negotiations over the Trump administration’s sweeping demand for personal voter information, including driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, from more than 3.3 million South Carolinians. How does this sudden leadership upheaval serve the principle of transparent, accountable governance? It doesn’t—especially...