Removing barriers to local civic participation and fostering a culture of joyful & celebrated civic engagement in
South Carolina.
JOIN US!

OUR MISSION:

Be The Ones is a nonpartisan grassroots organization building healthier communities, a more equitable democracy, and expanding power by removing barriers to local civic participation across South Carolina.

UPCOMING EVENTS

WHY LOCAL:

State and local elected officials and governments shape our lives. They make decisions impacting everything from kids’ education, closing the racial wealth gap, expanding healthcare, and voter access.

AND, YET….

  • 58%

    decrease in local civic meeting attendance over the last 20 years

  • 84%

    of eligible registered South Carolina voters do not vote in local elections

  • 4in10

    say not knowing roles Secretary of State or Attorney General play prevents participation

BE THE ONES:

We cannot meaningfully improve peoples lives and communities without addressing the civic information and participation health crisis.

This is where Be The Ones comes in.


Civic participation is an essential component of a healthy democracy and well-functioning society. But, it’s hard to participate if you don’t know when elections are, elected leaders’ jobs & how their decisions impact issues we care about. How can you advocate for better outcomes if you don’t know how systems work. It’s impossible to run for office if you don’t know what you’re running for?

We work to identify and close local civic information and participation gaps and foster a culture of joyful and celebrated civic participation in South Carolina..

Our programs aim to inform, connect, and activate so you can participate - from the ballot box to fixing that pesky pothole.

While we believe every person deserves access to information & opportunities, our programs are designed to expand power among historically and systemically excluded communities.

  • "I didn't realize how much my vote mattered until one of my local races was decided by just 16 votes. My vote meant we were going to have better school programs for my son and his classmates."

    -Brendan

  • "Mis padres y mi familia votan, pero sólo porque paso muchas horas ayudándoles a entender por qué su voto es importante. No sólo dedico tiempo a ayudarles antes de las elecciones, sino que tengo que dedicar muchas horas a encontrar la información para compartirla con ellos - y casi no existe información sobre los cargos de nuestra ciudad que pueda encontrar para ayudar a entender lo que hacen estas personas."

    -Kimberly

  • "I always hear "vote local," "local elections matter" - but what does that mean? Where is the information helping me understand why local elections matter and how these people impact my life. If I knew more I would probably care more."

    -Alyson

GET INVOLVED:

Join us in being the ones who shape the communities and democracy we want to be a part of. 

Follow us on Instagram

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Follow us on Instagram ~

🔥TODAY🔥 Park Circle Pride Block Party and Day Rave! Commonhouse (and surrounding blocks) from 2-8pm. @parkcirclepride @commonhousealeworks 🌈 Come see us for activities, flash tattoos & face paint, voter and advocacy info, so much joy, high
We had the best time kicking off Park Circle Pride @parkcirclepride with y’all last night!!!! (so much fun that we forgot to take more photos of all the goodness!) Thank you to @commonhousealeworks for being the absolute hostesses with the most
Hey friends! We’re looking for a few folks to help us at Park Circle Pride on Saturday and Sunday! 🥳 think fun activities, art projects, supporting our neighbors and friends with the resources and materials they need - and a ton of fun! Is t
It’s almost one of our favorite weeks of the year! 🎉 🌈 Park Circle Pride kicks off on Tuesday, June 3rd and 50+ events and celebrations are planned through June 7th. @parkcirclepride Find an event (or events) that spark love and joy for yo
Thank y’all for coming out to our People’s House Party last night in Charleston. 🫶 We absolutely loved looking around the room and seeing so many familiar faces of folks who’ve been part of this community over the years - and so m
Charleston! 🎉 See you tonight for The People’s House Party at Ripple. 🎉 Swipe 👉 for three reasons you should come (like you need more reasons😉) See you there! 👋 Where: Ripple - 701 East Bay , Suite 121 (the farthest side of the cigar fa
🎉 A time was had at The People’s House Party in Columbia last week. Thank you to everyone that joined us, for the fun and good connections, and a huge shoutout and big love to our friends at Queer Haven Books @queerhavenbooks for hosting us. ?
🎉 Columbia! See you tonight at Queer Haven Books for The People’s House Party! 🎉 Swipe 👉 for three reasons you should come (like you need more reasons😉)