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What happens when nine candidates compete for sheriff in a special election? Frank Tiller, newly elected Chairman of the Spartanburg County Republican Party, shares the unexpected challenges and surprising community response as his leadership team navigates what even state election officials couldn't fully advise them on.

This engaging conversation pulls back the curtain on local politics, revealing the often-misunderstood nature of political party operations. When Tiller's team inherited a nearly empty bank account and immediately faced organizing major candidate forums, they encountered a common misconception - that political parties are government-funded entities. The reality of grassroots funding comes into sharp focus as Tiller recounts the remarkable moment when community members stepped forward to transform ticketed events into free forums accessible to all voters.

The heart of Spartanburg's political renewal beats every Saturday morning at a local restaurant where "CAMP" (Coffee and American Politics) gatherings have exploded from an intimate group of eight to overflow crowds exceeding 100 participants. What makes these meetings special? Tiller explains that unlike traditional political events, every attendee gets microphone time - prompting the most common feedback: "My voice is being heard, and that has never happened before in politics."

From navigating the peculiar requirement that the county chairman must collect sheriff candidates' fingerprints to the ambitious goal of increasing primary election turnout from 13% to 20%, this conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into democracy at work at its most local level.

Ready to engage with your local political process? Mark August 8th on your calendar for the special election, and consider joining the Saturday morning conversations where candidates and citizens connect beyond credentials to build the relationships that ultimately drive voting decisions.

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What happens when our votes disappear into a technological black box? South Carolina Election Integrity advocate Laura Scharr pulls back the curtain on America's troubling voting systems while offering a surprisingly simple solution.

The startling truth about our elections emerges quickly: most Americans have no understanding of how their votes are actually counted. Our voting systems operate on technical standards from 2005 - predating the first iPhone - and create what Scharr calls a "weapon of vote destruction." She vividly compares it to receiving a bank statement showing only your final balance with no transaction history. Would you accept that level of opacity with your money? Then why accept it with your vote?

Following her recent Gold Standard Election Expo in Dallas, Scharr expertly walks us through her comprehensive four-phase approach to election reform: voter registration, voter validation, tabulation, and reporting. Each phase must satisfy four essential pillars: accessibility, security, transparency, and verifiability. Her team's simple yet revolutionary "Gold Standard Tally Method" relies on just three elements - people, paper, and pens.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when examining President Trump's March 25th executive order, which prohibits barcode/QR code tabulation and requires upgrading to new voting system standards by September 2024. With primaries approaching and certification timelines tight, Scharr explains why we might see hand-counted federal races in 2024 - creating a nationwide demonstration of what transparent elections could look like.

Critics claim hand counting would take too long or prove too error-prone, but Scharr's team has debunked these myths through extensive testing. With properly sized precincts of 1,500 voters, counts can be completed by midnight. A Rasmussen poll revealed that 52% of likely voters across all demographics would volunteer to count ballots in their local areas.

Whether you're deeply concerned about election integrity or simply curious about how your vote gets counted, this eye-opening conversation reveals why election reform must precede all other political priorities. As Scharr powerfully states, "Our ballots shall be cast in secret, but they shall not be counted in secret."

Ready to take action? Visit scsafeelections.org to download the Gold Standard white paper and contact your representatives to demand transparent, verifiable elections that restore trust in our democratic process.

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https://www.jacksonfamilyministry.com

https://bobslone.com/home/podcast-production/