Nicole Sanchez: Executive Director

Nicole Sanchez is a founding member of Better Ballot SC and its Executive Director. Through that work she is dedicated to improving the way that South Carolinians vote. In her position as President and her work on various political campaigns, she has interacted with countless South Carolinians. 

She has always had a passion to engage with the community and to help build up others. By cultivating relationships between groups and developing strategies and messaging to further interconnect communities, she aims to continue making a positive impact. Her experience also includes public speaking, team management, organizing, and coalition building.

Nicole graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Social Studies Education and continues to enjoy educating others about issues she is passionate about. In her off time, she can be found hanging out with her cats and husband or lost in the woods with a good book.

Contact: [email protected]

Marcurius Byrd: President/Chair of the Board

Marcurius Byrd, J.D. is one of the original co-founders of Better Ballot South Carolina. He has served on various boards and leadership teams in many different organizations. He works as a political and campaign consultant, having worked on campaigns on a variety of levels from presidential campaigns to local elections. His various clients and passions frequently brings him to the Statehouse.

He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Contact: [email protected]

Mallory Moore: Vice President/Vice Chair

Mallory is a healthcare worker in the Upstate. She joined Better Ballot SC as one way to support communication and community building. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling near and far. 

Mallory Moore is a healthcare professional who enjoys spending time building community in her small town in the Upstate, hiking, gardening, and reading. Since democracy at its best involves active participation, she volunteers for Better Ballot SC to support free and fair elections that represent all South Carolinians. 

Contact: [email protected]

Melissa Couture: Treasurer

Melissa Couture is a Co-Founder and the Treasurer of Better Ballot SC. Since joining the board, she has focused on building out the financial and operational backbone of the organization, helping ensure BBSC has the infrastructure to sustain its advocacy work over the long term.

By trade, Melissa works as an ERP Systems Analyst, and she brings that same systems-oriented, detail-driven approach to her volunteer work. She's also active in South Carolina's political landscape, currently serving as Chair of the Charleston County Libertarian Party. She has lived in South Carolina since 2011 and has spent much of that time getting involved in the civic and political life of her community.

Melissa is passionate about election reform and believes ranked choice voting is a practical, common-sense fix that can make South Carolina's elections more representative of what voters actually want. She's driven by the idea that better systems, whether in software or in democracy, lead to better outcomes for everyone.

Contact: [email protected]

Chris Alduino: Secretary

Chris Alduino, PhD currently serves the state of South Carolina publicly by maintaining the network of air quality monitors that oversees the state’s air pollution levels. In his free time, he serves the state by volunteering as Better Ballot SC’s secretary.

Chris defended his thesis in 2024 at the University of South Carolina on the topic of particle astrophysics, but in the intervening time between starting and finishing his education saw the rise of polarization, degradation of public institutions, and accompanying backsliding of American democracy into soft autocracy. These problems are systemic, so it seemed obvious that the solution should also be systemic. Better Ballot SC perfectly fit the criteria for a local organization pushing straightforward, common sense solutions that could still move the needle of the Big Issues of today.

Contact: [email protected]

Blake Carlton: Director

Blake Carlton grew up in Columbia, SC. After graduating from Brookland-Cayce High School, Blake left Columbia to study Journalism and Religious Studies at NYU. He then created his own Peace Corps-like experience in the Brazilian countryside. After three years in Brazil, he lived in the DC area, working for the Brazilian government—including six months as a butler to the Brazilian Ambassador, serving him and his guests (including then former president Lula) on silver platters—before pursuing an MBA/MPP dual degree at UMD.

He was married, but had no children, while living in the DMV (DC/MD/VA) area for 10 years. During his divorce, he returned to Columbia to visit family in 2021 and stayed in the area. He discovered Better Ballot SC and rank choice voting after meeting Nicole Sanchez at the Progressive Network and Modjeska Simkins School for Civil Rights. When not participating in BBSC-related activities, Blake works for the federal government (of the US, not Brazil this time), models and acts, life coaches, and runs the animal welfare advocacy nonprofit he founded in 2025, LARRY. He spends what little free time he has with his family and two dogs, Reo, aka Oreo, and Mel, aka Caramel.

Contact: [email protected]

Sam Gibbons: Director

Sam Gibbons is a lifelong resident of South Carolina. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve after high school and attended The Citadel in Charleston, graduating with the Class of 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science, concentrating in International Politics and Military Affairs. In 2011, he deployed to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps. After returning, he completed his undergraduate studies with top honors. Following college, he left the Marine Corps and became a secondary social studies teacher, teaching at Dreher High School for eight years. He currently serves as an instructor in the Army's Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson. His civic engagement includes involvement with the Reform Party as Vice Chairman of Communications, a 2026 congressional campaign in South Carolina's 2nd District Republican primary, organizing with 50501SC, and serving as a board member of Better Ballot SC.

Contact: [email protected]

Christian LeBlanc: Director

Christian LeBlanc is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, and a graduate of the College of Charleston, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications in 2012. Since making Charleston his home, he has built a career in digital communications, marketing strategy, and organizational development.

As the founder of Christian LeBlanc Media, Christian works with businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to strengthen their digital presence through web design, social media strategy, graphic design, search engine optimization (SEO), video production, and emerging AI-powered marketing solutions. His approach
focuses on building meaningful partnerships and developing practical, results-driven strategies that help organizations communicate more effectively and achieve their goals.

In addition to his professional work, Christian has served in leadership roles with civic and nonprofit organizations, contributing his expertise in communications, digital outreach, and organizational strategy. As a Director for Better Ballot SC, he brings experience in public engagement, messaging, and technology to support the
organization’s mission of promoting informed civic participation and election reform in South Carolina.

Contact: [email protected]