Decaying Bridge Effects Restrictions In Gaining Access To In-Person Absentee Voting For Residents Of South Sumter

Letter to Sumter Mayor David Merchant, Sumter City Council members, Sumter County Council members, and Sumter Asssistant County Administrator, Lorraine Dennis from The Family Unit, Inc., in regards to The Manning Avenue Bridge and the effects on citizen voting.

Dear Mr. Merchant, Mr. Mixon, Mrs. Dennis and Members of the Sumter City Council and Sumter County Council:

The decrepit, deteriorating condition of the Manning Avenue Bridge in Sumter, South Carolina presents a significant disadvantage to many voters who reside in South Sumter, South Carolina and who desire to do Early, In-Person Absentee Voting. The main site to do this type of voting is at the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office, located at 141 North Main Street, Sumter, South Carolina.

A number of residents of South Sumter, South Carolina avoid traveling across the Manning Avenue Bridge because of the unsafe conditions that exist there and the risk of danger and loss of life that may occur at that site in the event of a collapse of the bridge.

Residents of South Sumter, South Carolina are predominantly African American and are of low to moderate-income. These individuals suffer disproportionately from medical diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease, prostate cancer, high maternal morbidity and mortality and from the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Residents of South Sumter, South Carolina are in effect, economically and racially segregated from the more affluent and economically-secure segments of the City of Sumter and Sumter County, South Carolina by the presence of the CSX Railroad System that bisects these entities demographically and by the presence of a faulty, decaying, deteriorating, Manning Avenue Bridge that, because of its dangerous condition, causes residents of South Sumter to take detour routes around this bridge for safety reasons and fears of an imminent bridge collapse and the devastation that would result.

Inequality does, in fact, powerfully depresses voting among low-income people. Even without the impact of the global pandemic, economic deprivation is a case of double jeopardy when it comes to voting: If you’re poor, you’re more likely to have bad health—and if you’re not healthy, you’re not as likely to vote.

The Family Unit, Inc. is continually consulted by low to moderate-income residents of South Sumter, South Carolina on matters concerning their health, their homelessness, their substandard living conditions and about their voting rights.

Voting rights are oftentimes the last concern on the agenda of the low to moderate-income residents of South Sumter, South Carolina, due to their focusing on their basic survival and subsistence. However, amazingly, and incredibly, in spite of their innumerable hardships incurred in daily living, the right to vote is sought after and revered by some of the most impoverished people that The Family Unit, Inc. have ever had contact with and fervently advocates for.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibits any hindrances or restrictions, caused by a state government, that negatively affect a voter's right to have unrestricted, easy access to the ballot box.

The Sumter Urban Area Transportation Study (SUATS), which is a Metropolitan Planning Organization (https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/transportation-planning/metropolitan-planning-organization-mpo) comprised of members of the Sumter City Government, the Sumter County Government, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the Sumter County Legislative Delegation, the Sumter City-County Planning Commission, and the Sumter County Development Board, made the decision as a group, to place the replacement of the Manning Avenue Bridge years after the implementation of other "Connectivity" Projects that have been undertaken over the past decade in Sumter County, South Carolina.

The Family Unit, Inc. contends that the decision to delay the replacement of the Manning Avenue Bridge and all the while ignore and disregard the dangerous, decaying, deteriorating condition of this structure, impedes and violates the voting rights of the residents of South Sumter, South Carolina, several of whom are members of our 501(c)(3), non-profit, charitable organization, and are the recipients of services of our organization provides that have reference to health, housing and voter education, voter registration and promoting encouragement among voters to participate in the electoral process.

The Family Unit, Inc. recommends the South Carolina Department of Transportation conduct a comprehensive and thorough assessment and inspection of the Manning Avenue Bridge as soon as possible and concomitantly, close off access to this decaying, deteriorating bridge, putting into effect alternative routes for motorists and pedestrians who would ordinarily travel across this bridge. It is recommended that the SCDOT configure alternate detour routes for motorists as well as pedestrians who travel to and fro over the Manning Avenue Bridge.

Furthermore, The Family Unit, Inc. recommends that the South Carolina Department of Transportation and SUATS communicate with the CSX Railroad Corporation in regards to the Manning Avenue Bridge's relationship to the CSX railway system that is an integral part of the City of Sumter and Sumter County, South Carolina.

It is important to note that the CSX Railroad Corporation has already begun improving transportation in the City of Sumter and Sumter County, South Carolina by extensively replacing old, deteriorating railroad tracks and surrounding equipment with new, safe, secure and sustainable materials and equipment.

A joint effort between SUATS and the CSX Railroad Corporation would be of benefit to the residents of the City of Sumter and Sumter County, South Carolina, especially those persons of low to moderate-income who live in, own and operate businesses and worship in South Sumter, South Carolina.

In addition to this, proactive actions in reference to the replacement of the Manning Avenue Bridge will help protect and preserve the voting rights of the low to moderate-income residents of South Sumter, South Carolina, by helping to ensure these voters with unrestricted, unimpeded access to the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office, located at 141 North Main Street, Sumter, South Carolina...the site where the majority of In-Person Absentee Voting occurs.

A significant number of low to moderate-income residents who live in South Sumter, South Carolina live within one mile of the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office, and use the Manning Avenue Bridge to reach this destination.

A collapse or failure of the Manning Avenue Bridge would cause these aforementioned voters to suffer substantial burdens in gaining access to and from the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office, the place where they have routinely voted by the use of In-person Absentee Voting.

Immediate strategic planning on the part of the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the implementation of alternate routes around the Manning Avenue Bridge would said voters would prepare and inform voters of the altered pathway to the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office where they could cast their In-person Absentee Ballots.

The Family Unit, Inc. regularly and routinely engages with persons of low to moderate-income who are registered voters in the State of South Carolina and who are potential voters. It is commonplace for many of these voters to be transported by me, representing my non-profit, charitable organization.

Being prepared for voting is fundamental and instrumental to participation in the electoral process. Having prior notice of routes of transportation ahead of elections helps overall in getting voters to and from the Sumter County Voter Registration and Elections Office and to and from the various polling sites.

Yours Sincerely,

Brenda C. Williams, MD

The Family Unit, Inc., a 501(c)(3), non-profit, charitable organization.