Senator CAMPSEN proposed the following amendment (JUD4919.015):
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking Section 7-3-40 and inserting:
/ "Section 7-3-40.The Bureau of Vital Statistics must furnish the executive director a monthly report of all persons eighteen years of age or older who have died in the State and all individuals eighteen years of age or older who have died out-of-state. All reports must contain the name of the deceased, county of residence, his social security or other identification number, and his date and place of birth. The bureau must provide this information at no charge." /
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking Section 7-5-186 and inserting:
/ "Section 7-5-186. ( A)(1) The State Election Commission shall establish and maintain a statewide voter registration database that must be administered by the commission and made continuously available to each county board of voter registration and elections and to other agencies as authorized by law. The executive director must conduct an annual general registration list maintenance program to maintain accurate voter registration records in the statewide voter registration system. (2)(a)(B) State agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Employment and Workforce, and the Department of Corrections, shall provide information and data to the State Election Commission that the commission considers necessary in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section, except where prohibited by federal law or regulation. The State Election Commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the State Election Commission, which is confidential in the possession of the entity providing the data, remains confidential while in the possession of the State Election Commission. (b) Information provided under this division for maintenance of the statewide voter registration database must not be used to update the name or address of a registered elector. The name or address of a registered elector only must be updated as a result of the elector's actions in filing a notice of change of name, change of address, or both. (c) A county board of voter registration and elections shall contact a registered elector by mail at the address on file with the board to verify the accuracy of the information in the statewide voter registration database regarding that elector if information provided under subsection (A)(2)(a) of this section identifies a discrepancy between the information regarding that elector that is maintained in the statewide voter registration database and maintained by a state agency. (3)(C) The State Election Commission may enter into agreements to share information or data with other states or groups of states, as the commission considers necessary, in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the commission that is confidential in the possession of the state providing the data remains confidential while in the possession of the commission. The commission may provide such otherwise confidential information or data to persons or organizations that are engaging in legitimate governmental purposes related to the maintenance of the statewide voter registration database.
(D) A county board of voter registration and elections shall send a notice, as described in Section 7-5-330(F)(2), to a registered elector by mail at the address on file with the board to verify the accuracy of the information in the statewide voter registration database regarding that elector if a discrepancy exists between information provided under this section and information that is maintained in the statewide voter registration database.
(E) Information provided under this section for maintenance of the statewide voter registration database must not be used to update the name or address of a registered elector. The name or address of a registered elector must only be updated as a result of the elector's actions in filing a notice of change of name, change of address, or both."/
To amend the bill further, by adding an appropriately new SECTION to amend Chapter 5, Title 7 of the 1976 Code by adding:
/ SECTION __. Chapter 5, Title 7 of the 1976 Code of Laws is amended by adding:
"Section 7-5-190. The State Election Commission shall ensure that voter registration information, the voting system, and electronic poll books are protected by security measures that meet or exceed current best practices for protecting data integrity. To do so, the State Election Commission shall consider security standards and best practices issued by federal security and intelligence services, including, but not limited to, the Department of Homeland Security and the Election Assistance Commission. The State Election Commission shall certify on an annual basis to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that the agency has substantially complied with the requirements of this subsection." /
To amend the bill further, by striking Section 7-5-330 of the 1976 Code and inserting:
/"Section 7-5-330.(A) In the case of registration with a motor vehicle application under Section 7-5-320, the valid voter registration form of the applicant must be completed at the Department of Motor Vehicles no later than thirty days before the date of the election.
(B) In the case of registration by mail under Section 7-5-155, the valid voter registration form of the applicant must be postmarked no later than thirty days before the date of the election.
(C) In the case of registration at a voter registration agency, the valid voter registration form of the applicant must be completed at the voter registration agency no later than thirty days before the date of the election.
(D) In any other case, the valid voter registration form of the applicant must be received by the county board of voter registration and elections no later than thirty days before the date of the election.
(E)(1) The county board of voter registration and elections shall:
(a) send notice to each applicant of the disposition of the application; and
(b) ensure that the identity of the voter registration agency through which a particular voter is registered is not disclosed to the public.
(2) If the notice sent pursuant to the provisions of subitem (a) of this item item (1) is returned to the county board of voter registration and elections as undeliverable, the elector to whom it was sent must be reported by the board to the State Election Commission. The State Election Commission must place the elector in an inactive status on the master file within seven days after receipt of the report from the county board of voter registration and elections and may shall remove this elector upon compliance with the provisions of Section 7-5-330(F).
(F)(1) The State Election Commission may not remove the name of a qualified elector from the official list of eligible voters on the ground that the qualified elector has changed residence unless the qualified elector:
(a) confirms in writing that the qualified elector has changed residence to a place outside the county in which the qualified elector is registered; or
(b)(i) has failed to respond to a notice described in item (2); and
(ii) has not voted or appeared to vote and, if necessary, correct the county board of voter registration and elections record of the qualified elector's address, in an election during the period beginning on the date of the notice and ending on the day after the date of the second general election that occurs after the date of the notice.
(2) 'Notice', as used in this item, means a postage prepaid and preaddressed return card, sent by forwardable mail, on which the qualified elector may state his current address, together with a statement to the following effect:
(a) if the qualified elector did not change his residence, or changed residence but remained in the same county, the qualified elector shall return the card no later than thirty days before the date of the election. If the card is not returned, affirmation or confirmation of the qualified elector's address may be required before the qualified elector is permitted to vote during the period beginning on the date of the notice and ending on the day after the date of the second general election that occurs after the date of the notice, and if the qualified elector does not vote in an election during that period, the qualified elector's name must be removed from the official list of eligible voters;
(b) if the qualified elector has changed residence to a place outside the county in which the qualified elector is registered, information as to how the qualified elector can re-register to vote.
(3) The county board of voter registration and elections shall correct an the official list of eligible voters in accordance with change of residence information obtained pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.
(4) The program required pursuant to the provisions of subsection (F) of this section must be completed no later than ninety days before the date of a statewide primary or general election.
To amend the bill further, by striking SECTION 35 and inserting:
/ "SECTION35 .The State Elections Commission must establish an aggressive voter education program concerning the provisions contained in this legislation. The State Elections Commission must educate the public as follows:
(1) Post information concerning changes contained in this legislation in a conspicuous location at each county board of registration and elections, each satellite office, the State Elections Commission office, and their respective websites.
(2) Train poll managers and poll workers at their mandatory training sessions to answer questions by electors concerning the changes in this legislation.
(3) Require documentation describing the changes in this legislation to be disseminated by poll managers and poll workers at every election held from the effective date of this act until October 21, 2022.
(4) Coordinate with each county board of voter registration and elections so that at least one seminar is conducted with each county's election officials prior to September 16, 2022.
(5) Coordinate with local and service organizations to provide for additional informational seminars at a local or statewide level.
(6) Send a media release describing the changes in this legislation in South Carolina newspapers of general circulation by no later than June 20, 2022.
(7) Coordinate with local media outlets to disseminate information concerning the changes in this legislation.
In addition to the items above, the State Election Commission may implement additional educational programs in its discretion." /