South Carolina General Assembly
112th Session, 1997-1998

Bill 51

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter 

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       51
Type of Legislation:               General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19970114
Primary Sponsor:                   Passailaigue 
All Sponsors:                      Passailaigue 
Drafted Document Number:           s-res\passaila\res1119.elp
Residing Body:                     Senate
Current Committee:                 Judiciary Committee 11 SJ
Subject:                           Elections, ballots; None of
                                   These Candidates selection to be
                                   on
History


Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

Senate  19970114  Introduced, read first time,             11 SJ
                  referred to Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 13, TITLE 7 OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ELECTION BALLOTS, BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-324 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IN ALL GENERAL, SPECIAL, OR PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN THIS STATE FOR ANY OFFICE, BALLOTS MUST CONTAIN A "NONE OF THESE CANDIDATES" SELECTION.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 13, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 7-13-324. (A) In all general, special, or primary elections in this State for any office, every ballot shall contain for each office an additional line equivalent to the lines on which the candidates' names appear with the following selection: `None of These Candidates'. This selection shall be placed at the end of the group of lines containing the names of the candidates for that office. Further, the `None of These Candidates' selection shall contain a square in which the voter may express his choice of that line in the same manner as he would express his choice of a candidate.

(B) Only votes cast for the named candidates shall be counted in determining nomination or election to any office, but the number of ballots on which the `None of These Candidates' selection was chosen shall be listed following the names of the candidates and the number of their votes in every posting, abstract, and proclamation of the results of the election.

(C) Every sample ballot or other instruction to voters prescribed or approved by law or authority shall clearly explain that the voter may mark his choice of the line `None of These Candidates' if he has not voted for any candidate for the office."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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