July 6, 2026 (Blythewood, South Carolina) – Dr. Kasie Whitener, Libertarian Candidate for US Senate, accompanied the volunteers from Ballots Without Barriers on Monday, July 5th, as they delivered signed petitions to South Carolina State House leadership and the Governor’s Office. The petitions take issue with recently enacted South Carolina Act 137, which now requires all candidates to pay filing fees.
Filing fees are said to finance the state’s primary elections, from which independent and smaller party candidates are excluded. Act 137 removes the language related to the use of the filing fees and claims the standard fees applied to all candidates are to create conformity.
The fees create a financial barrier to entry for independent and smaller party candidates and limit competition in political races, giving more preference and power to the established parties.
“This is an intentional effort to exclude independent and alternative party candidates,” Dr. Whitener said. “The Republicans and Democrats are raising the barriers to entry to secure their own power. It’s not right.”
In the 2026 US Senate race, the filing fee was $10,440. That’s donor money that could be spent on event entries, signage, website and social media, and other campaign-related materials. Instead, Dr. Whitener would have had to surrender $10,440 pledged by dedicated donors simply to put her name on the ballot.
The South Carolina Libertarian Party maintains ballot access by following election law to re-organize regularly and hold a nominating convention to select its candidates. South Carolina Libertarian Party Convention delegates do not participate in open primaries. Libertarian candidates are not on primary ballots.
Establishment parties are corporations that raise money nationally and through interest groups, corporations, and other entities looking to influence elections. Independent candidates and smaller parties like the South Carolina Libertarian Party are significantly under-resourced comparatively.
“Levying the same filing fee is an intentional effort to exclude under-resourced competitors. It’s just more game-rigging from the established parties. We’ve seen this before. If the fees are not going to finance election operations, then they should be waived for every competitor. A broader field gives more opportunities for candidates and voters,” Dr. Whitener said.
Learn more about Ballots Without Barriers and the national effort to ensure ballot access for independent and small party candidates here.
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About Kasie Whitener
Dr. Kasie Whitener is a writer, business owner, radio host, and educator at the University of South Carolina running as a Libertarian for the United States Senate in South Carolina.
Kasie believes in regular citizens serving their communities. Rather than preconceived positions, her approach to every issue is to evaluate stakeholder impacts, and make the best choice for South Carolina. She has a deep love for our state and a genuine passion for protecting all of our citizens from overreaching and corrupt government. Kasie puts people over party, and promises to be fully transparent, accessible, and accountable.
After moving from the Upstate to Blythewood in 2012, Kasie started Clemson Road Creative, a consultancy specializing in business processes. Kasie earned her PhD in Organization and Management in 2014, joined the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in 2017 as a Clinical Instructor teaching entrepreneurship and strategic management, and is currently a Director of the Faber Entrepreneurship Center. She is the co-host for “Mornings with Kasie and Kev” and host of WriteOnSC on 100.7 The Point and makethepointradio.com.
Kasie earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Clemson University in 1999 and a master’s in English from Winthrop in 2004. She was a two-term President of the South Carolina Writers Association, three-term chair for the Richland County Libertarian Party, state committee chair for the South Carolina Libertarian Party (SCLP), and a four-time delegate to the Libertarian National Convention. Kasie is a Florence native who grew up in Herndon, Virginia. She currently resides in Blythewood, S.C. with her husband, Charlie, an R.N., and their 17-year-old daughter.
Learn more about Kasie.
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