Monthly Musings on Election Participation, Economic Development, Job Satisfaction

Monthly musings…

South Carolina, you’ve embarrassed us again.

According to the South Carolina Election Commission, only 25.3 percent of the state’s registered voters cast ballots in the 2026 statewide primaries.

The Election Commission says 856,005 ballots were cast on June 9 out of 3,383,591 registered voters in the state’s 46 counties and 2,315 precincts. That’s only about 1 of 4 S.C. residents who are registered and, as we all know, not everyone who is eligible actually takes the time to register to vote.

It also means almost three of every four registered voters didn’t show up.

According to Commission figures, very few counties recorded more than 30 percent turnout. The state’s highest was Fairfield County at 36.68 percent. The lowest was Chesterfield at 18.32 percent.

The 25.3 percent overall was better than the 17.05 percent turnout (565,538 votes, 3,317,605 registered voters) in the 2022 primary, but nothing to write home about.

The subsequent runoff turnout was even lower. The Election Commission reported total voter turnout of 10.53 percent, with 351,149 ballots cast among 3,333,808 registered voters.

Low turnout, as I’ve said, gives special interest groups the upper hand because they mobilize their supporters, who in turn vote, and the result is a narrow audience making decisions that affect all of us.          

There are myriad reasons people can’t vote, be it illness or unforeseen family responsibilities. Or perhaps you don’t affiliate with Republicans or Democrats. But supporting a particular candidate because you prefer him or her is a wise primary choice, especially since it can help that person advance to the general election. It’s better than not voting at all. 

We can, and must, do better. The ball’s in our court. No one else’s.

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Duke Energy site readiness efforts help land $1.2 billion advanced manufacturing project in Cherokee County

USA Rare Earth's recent announcement of a major investment and new jobs in Cherokee County highlights the impact of Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program, which helped prepare the Bailey Industrial Site for major economic development. Duke Energy officials said that through upfront due diligence, infrastructure planning, and site marketing, the program made Bailey more competitive for companies looking to move quickly on a new project.

Since 2005, the program has helped attract significant investment across South Carolina, and Bailey is the latest example. After completing the site-readiness process, the Cherokee County property was better positioned to compete for transformative projects — culminating in USA Rare Earth's announcement that it will build a facility there, bringing a $1.2 billion investment and 490 new jobs in one of the county's biggest economic wins.

"Duke Energy is proud to help bring this transformative project to Cherokee County and strengthen America's domestic rare earth supply chain," said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy South Carolina president. "The Bailey site is a strong example of how our Site Readiness Program helps communities compete for game-changing projects. By working with state and local partners to prepare the site in advance — from diligence and coordination to energy planning — we helped make this property more appealing for a company ready to invest, create jobs, and move quickly. As we continue to prioritize reliable power at the lowest possible cost for our customers, we stand ready to use this program and every tool in our toolbox to help South Carolina win more opportunities like this."

The Duke Energy Site Readiness Program includes detailed site assessments by partners in site selection and engineering to identify opportunities, address challenges and improve a property's competitiveness before a prospect is on the table. That proactive work can help communities shorten timelines, reduce uncertainty and better position sites like Bailey for major industrial announcements.

• Under the program, Duke Energy works with local economic development organizations on the overall strategy to improve and add to South Carolina's site inventory.

• Large-scale economic development projects play a key role in keeping costs as low as possible by helping pay for fixed infrastructure costs that benefit all customers through capacity expansion and improvements to reliability.

For 22 consecutive years, Duke Energy's economic development efforts have been recognized by Site Selection magazine in the publication's annual list of "Top Utilities in Economic Development."

• Since 2005, projects that have located on Site Readiness Program sites have announced $3.5 billion of capital investments and more than 5,200 new jobs for South Carolina.

• Duke Energy has evaluated 102 sites in South Carolina, and 26 companies have selected sites that have gone through the program.

• Examples of successful program sites include EA Sween in Greenwood County, Thermo King in Greenville County, Fancy Pokket in Lancaster County, Cyclic Materials in Chesterfield County, and most recently, USA Rare Earth in Cherokee County.

Duke Energy officials say the Site Readiness Program is a key example of how the company helps create jobs and bring more value to South Carolina. In fact, in 2025, Duke Energy helped recruit $3.4 billion in capital investment and 2,000 new jobs throughout the state.

In addition to the Cherokee County site, two other prime locations for development recently went through the Site Readiness Program:

• The Anderson Area Airport Industrial Park is a 226-acre property adjacent to the airport. Owned by Anderson County, it contains 175 buildable acres and is well positioned from both a utility and accessibility standpoint. 

• The Carolina's Centre Industrial Park in Chesterfield County is a 296-acre site with frontage along Highway 9 between the towns of Chesterfield and Cheraw. The property contains a 52,000-square-foot spec building, water and heavy electrical infrastructure.

Said Ken Moon, Cherokee County Development Board executive director: "Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program was instrumental in USA Rare Earth's decision to choose the Bailey site for a major expansion and new facility in South Carolina. The program's preparation helped make the site competitive and ready to meet the company's needs, creating a major economic win for Cherokee County. Duke Energy continues to be a strong partner in helping position our community for growth."

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky.

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Survey: Job Satisfaction Hits Record High

Job satisfaction among U.S. workers reached a record high in 2026, continuing a steady climb over 16 consecutive years. That’s according to new research from The Conference Board.

The survey found that 69 percent of U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs overall — the highest level since the organization began tracking in 1987.

But beneath the headline number, the findings reveal a more uneven reality: Satisfaction gains are concentrated among higher-income workers, men, and workers confident in AI’s impact on their careers. On the other hand, women, lower-income workers, and workers lagging in AI adoption are more likely to report lower satisfaction.

“Rather than growing enthusiasm for the job itself, overall satisfaction reaching a high may reflect that workers are grateful to be employed amid widespread uncertainty. Underneath the hood, the data shows divides across compensation, advancement opportunities, and confidence about the future of work. Organizations that focus only on overall satisfaction scores risk overlooking the workers who are falling behind,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher, Human Capital, The Conference Board.

Key findings include:

U.S. worker job satisfaction reached a historic high.

• Overall job satisfaction rose to 68.9 percent in 2026, the highest level recorded in the survey’s 39-year history. It’s up slightly from 68.3 percent in 2025.

• Satisfaction has climbed steadily for 16 consecutive years since reaching a low of 42.6 percent in 2010 during the aftermath of the Great Recession.

• However, satisfaction with individual job elements averaged just 59 percent, suggesting overall satisfaction may mask frustrations with pay, advancement, and benefits.

Women reported lower satisfaction than men across nearly every job element.

• Male respondents reported higher satisfaction on 26 of 27 job satisfaction elements.

• Work-life balance was the only category where women reported higher satisfaction than men.

• The largest gender gaps appeared in wages (+7.2 percentage points), health plans (+7.0 points), pension/retirement benefits (+6.3 points), and promotion policy (+6.2 points).

AI use generally improved job satisfaction, but confidence gaps remain.

• Nearly four in 10 workers (39.3 percent) said use of advanced AI tools improved their job satisfaction.

• Workers who said AI made them more confident about their career prospects also reported substantially higher engagement, belonging, mental health, and intent to stay.

• At the same time, 6.7 percent of workers said AI use reduced their job satisfaction, signaling potential risks for organizations deploying AI without sufficient support and training.

Income was the strongest demographic driver of satisfaction.

• Overall satisfaction ranged from 45.3 percent among workers in households earning under $25,000 to 76 percent among workers earning $150,000 or more.

• Workers in households earning under $50,000 reported the lowest engagement, belonging, and intent to stay of any income group.

• Dissatisfaction with promotion policy and bonus plans remained widespread across income levels, suggesting structural concerns around advancement and rewards.

To improve workforce satisfaction and resilience, Conference Board officials said CHROs and business leaders should:

• Analyze satisfaction drivers at the employee-segment level rather than relying solely on overall averages.

• Review compensation, benefits, and promotion pathways as part of an integrated workforce strategy.

• Pair AI adoption with training, manager guidance, and clear communication around career advancement opportunities.

• Expand access to flexibility, career development, and advancement pathways for lower-income workers.

• Track employee engagement, belonging, and intent to stay alongside satisfaction metrics to identify emerging risks.

The Conference Board, founded in 1916, is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.