S 0520 {Rat #347} General Bill, By Thomas and Wilson
 A Bill to amend Section 7-13-860, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to the appointment, qualifications, identification, and conduct of
 poll watchers, so as to specify the maximum size and size of lettering on
 identification badges and to prohibit badges in flourescent colors and to
 amend Section 7-25-180, as amended, relating to the distribution of campaign
 literature on election day within two hundred feet of a building where a
 polling place is located, so as to authorize a candidate to appear and greet
 voters if he is not intimidating, and to provide that the candidate may wear a
 label identifying himself as a candidate and the office he is seeking and
 provide conditions on the wearing of the label.-amended title
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   03/09/93  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   03/09/93  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-7
   04/28/93  Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary SJ-16
   04/29/93  Senate Read second time SJ-27
   04/29/93  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-28
   04/30/93  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-4
   05/04/93  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-8
   05/04/93  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-8
   02/03/94  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary HJ-3
   02/09/94  House  Debate adjourned until  Tuesday, February 15,
                     1994 HJ-77
   02/15/94  House  Debate adjourned until  Wednesday, February 23,
                     1994 HJ-14
   02/23/94  House  Amended HJ-25
   02/23/94  House  Read second time HJ-26
   02/24/94  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments HJ-400
   03/01/94  Senate Non-concurrence in House amendment SJ-9
   03/01/94  House  House insists upon amendment and conference
                     committee appointed Reps.  J. Wilder, Cromer &
                     T.C. Alexander HJ-48
   03/03/94  Senate Conference committee appointed  Sens. Matthews,
                     Holland, and Thomas SJ-4
   04/06/94  House  Conference report received and adopted HJ-53
   04/07/94  Senate Conference report received and adopted SJ-5
   04/07/94  Senate Ordered enrolled for ratification SJ-6
   04/14/94         Ratified R  347
   04/20/94         Vetoed by Governor
   05/17/94  Senate Veto sustained Yeas-046 SJ-378

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-13-860, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT, QUALIFICATIONS, IDENTIFICATION, AND CONDUCT OF POLL WATCHERS, SO AS TO SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM SIZE AND SIZE OF LETTERING ON IDENTIFICATION BADGES AND TO PROHIBIT BADGES IN FLUORESCENT COLORS AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-25-180, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF CAMPAIGN LITERATURE ON ELECTION DAY WITHIN TWO HUNDRED FEET OF A BUILDING WHERE A POLLING PLACE IS LOCATED, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE A CANDIDATE TO APPEAR AND GREET VOTERS IF HE IS NOT INTIMIDATING, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE CANDIDATE MAY WEAR A LABEL IDENTIFYING HIMSELF AS A CANDIDATE AND THE OFFICE HE IS SEEKING AND PROVIDE CONDITIONS ON THE WEARING OF THE LABEL.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Pollwatcher badges

SECTION 1. Section 7-13-860 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 7-13-860. Each candidate who is not unopposed in the primary and each candidate in a general election may appoint a watcher for any voting place that he may desire. However, in any general or special election, all candidates who are certified by a political party must be jointly represented at each polling place that they may desire by not more than two watchers from the party for each one thousand registered voters or fraction of a thousand registered voters registered at the polling place. Every watcher appointed under this section must be a qualified voter in the county where he is to watch, and must be certified to the managers of the voting precinct to which assigned, in writing, signed by the candidate or by an appropriate party official as having been designated to act as a watcher. Watchers at all times shall wear appropriate, visible identification specifying the candidate or party which they represent. No watcher shall conduct himself in a manner that interferes in the orderly conduct of the election or influences any voter in the casting of his ballot. The identification badge of a pollwatcher may not exceed four and one-fourth inches by four and one-fourth inches with individual letters on the badge not exceeding one-quarter inch in height or width. Badges may not be a color that has a fluorescent quality."

Greeting permitted

SECTION 2. Section 7-25-180 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 393 of 1990, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-25-180. (A) It is unlawful on an election day within two hundred feet of any entrance used by the voters to enter the polling place for a person to distribute any type of campaign literature or place any political posters. The poll manager shall use every reasonable means to keep the area within two hundred feet of any such entrance clear of political literature and displays, and the county and municipal law enforcement officers, upon request of a poll manager, shall remove or cause to be removed any material within two hundred feet of any such entrance distributed or displayed in violation of this section.

(B) A candidate may appear and greet voters in line as long as he is not intimidating voters or interfering with the orderly election process. A candidate may wear within two hundred feet of the polling place a label no larger than four and one-fourth inches by four and one-fourth inches that contains the candidate's name and the office he is seeking. If the candidate enters the polling place, he may not display any of this identification, including, but not limited to, campaign stickers or buttons.

(C) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to prohibit a registered voter from wearing any campaign sticker, button, t-shirt, or hat while waiting to vote."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

In the Senate House ____________________________________________.

______________________________________________

President of the Senate

______________________________________________

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Approved the ____________ day of ________________________, 1994.

______________________________________________

Governor

Printer's Date -- April 19, 1994 -- S.