S*1088(Rat #0243, Act #0507 of 1996)  General Bill, By Washington and Mescher
 A Bill to establish the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton
 County and provide for the number and manner of appointment of its members,
 terms, filling of vacancies, election of the Board's chairman, the chairman's
 term of office, and related matters; to abolish the Colleton County Board of
 Voter Registration and devolve its functions, duties, and powers upon the
 Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County; to abolish the
 Colleton County Election Commission and devolve its functions, duties, and
 powers upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County;
 and to provide for the expiration of the current terms of office for certain
 persons.

   01/31/96  Senate Intd. & placed on local & uncontested cal. w/o
                     reference SJ-6
   01/31/96  Senate Unanimous consent for second reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-6
   01/31/96  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-6
   02/01/96  Senate Read second time SJ-11
   02/02/96  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-2
   02/06/96  House  Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference HJ-178
   02/07/96  House  Read second time HJ-14
   02/08/96  House  Read third time and enrolled HJ-6
   02/27/96         Ratified R 243
   03/04/96         Signed By Governor
   03/04/96         See act for exception to or explanation of
                     effective date
   03/15/96         Copies available
   08/29/96         Act No. 507

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF COLLETON COUNTY AND PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER AND MANNER OF APPOINTMENT OF ITS MEMBERS, TERMS, FILLING OF VACANCIES, ELECTION OF THE BOARD'S CHAIRMAN, THE CHAIRMAN'S TERM OF OFFICE, AND RELATED MATTERS; TO ABOLISH THE COLLETON COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND DEVOLVE ITS FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND POWERS UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF COLLETON COUNTY; TO ABOLISH THE COLLETON COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION AND DEVOLVE ITS FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND POWERS UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF COLLETON COUNTY; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPIRATION OF THE CURRENT TERMS OF OFFICE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS.

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

New board established; etc.

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(A) Effective March 15, 1997, there is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County to be composed of nine members appointed to office by the Governor; four of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the senators representing the county and the remaining five members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the legislative delegation from the county. The term of office for the members of the board is two years commencing on the fifteenth day of March in each odd-numbered year. In case of a vacancy from any cause on the board, the vacancy must be filled in the same manner of original appointment, as provided in this section, for the unexpired term. The members of the board by majority vote shall elect the board's chairman, and the chairman shall serve a term of two years and may be reelected to that office for any number of successive terms without limitation.

(B) The Governor shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the appointments made under (A) of this section.

(C) The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the name of the person elected as chairman of the board under (A) of this section.

(D) Except as otherwise specifically provided in (A), (B), and (C) of this section, the provisions of law contained in Title 7 of the 1976 Code of Laws relating to county boards of voter registration and county election commissions apply to the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County, mutatis mutandis.

Board, commission abolished; etc.

SECTION 2. (A) The Colleton County Board of Voter Registration is abolished effective March 15, 1997, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County as established under Section 1 of this act.

(B) The Colleton County Election Commission is abolished effective March 15, 1997, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Colleton County as established under Section 1 of this act.

Terms of office; etc.

SECTION 3. (A) The terms of the members of the Colleton County Board of Voter Registration, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon the abolishment of that board as provided under subsection (A) of Section 2 of this act.

(B) The terms of the members of the Colleton County Election Commission, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon abolishment of that commission as provided under subsection (B) of Section 2 of this act.

(C) Notwithstanding subsections (A) and (B) of this section or any other provision of this act, no person serving as a member of the Colleton County Board of Voter Registration or the Colleton County Election Commission shall be removed from office, nor shall that board and that commission be abolished, until this act has been given final approval by the United States Department of Justice.

Time effective

SECTION 4. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this act, this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 4th day of March, 1996.