Current Status Introducing Body:Senate Bill Number:520 Ratification Number:347 Primary Sponsor:Thomas Type of Legislation:GB Subject:Poll watchers, identification badges Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19940407 Computer Document Number:JIC/5471HC.93 Governor's Action:V Date of Governor's Action:19940420 Introduced Date:19930309 Date of Last Amendment:19940407 Last History Body:Senate Last History Date:19940517 Last History Type:Veto sustained Action on Governor's Veto:S Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Thomas Wilson Type of Legislation:General Bill
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved ---- ------ ------------ ------------------------------ --- ------------ 520 Senate 19940517 Veto sustained 520 ------ 19940420 Vetoed by Governor 520 ------ 19940414 Ratified R 347 520 Senate 19940407 Conference Committee Report 98 received, adopted, enrolled for ratification 520 House 19940406 Conference Committee Report 98 received, adopted 520 Senate 19940303 Conference powers granted, 98 Matthew appointed Senators to Holland Committee of Conference Thomas 520 House 19940301 Conference powers granted, 98 J. Wilder appointed Senators to Cromer Committee of Conference T.C. Alexander 520 House 19940301 Insists upon amendment 520 Senate 19940301 Non-concurrence in House amendment 520 House 19940224 Read third time, returned to Senate with amendment 520 House 19940223 Amended, read second time 520 House 19940215 Debate adjourned until Wednesday, February 23, 1994 520 House 19940209 Debate adjourned until Tuesday, February 15, 1994 520 House 19940203 Committee Report: Favorable 25 with amendment 520 House 19930504 Introduced, read first time, 25 referred to Committee 520 Senate 19930430 Read third time, sent to House 520 Senate 19930429 Read second time, unanimous consent for third reading on Friday, April 30, 1993 520 Senate 19930428 Committee Report: Favorable 11 520 Senate 19930309 Introduced, read first time, 11 referred to CommitteeView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
(Rxxx, S520)
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.