S 0327 General Bill, By M.T. Rose, McConnell and Mescher

Similar(H 3643)
 A BILL TO CREATE A REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION FOR DORCHESTER
 COUNTY, ABOLISH THE COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION AND THE REGISTRATION BOARD OF
 DORCHESTER COUNTY AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THE CREATED
 COMMISSION.

   02/05/97  Senate Intd. & placed on local & uncontested cal. w/o
                     reference SJ-7
   03/04/97  Senate Amended SJ-24
   03/04/97  Senate Read second time SJ-24
   03/05/97  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-16
   03/06/97  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-8
   03/06/97  House  Referred to delegation from Dorchester HJ-8

March 4, 1997

S. 327

L. Printed 3/4/97--S.

Read the first time February 5, 1997.

A BILL

TO CREATE A REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION FOR DORCHESTER COUNTY, ABOLISH THE COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION AND THE REGISTRATION BOARD OF DORCHESTER COUNTY AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THE CREATED COMMISSION.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(A) Effective March 15, 1998, there is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County to be composed of nine members appointed to office by the Governor; five of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators representing the county and the remaining four members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators and a majority of the House members 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 even-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. The board may choose to elect a vice chair, a secretary, and other officers as the board deems appropriate.

(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 Dorchester 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 Dorchester County, mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 2. (A) The Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration is abolished effective March 15, 1998, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County as established under Section 1 of this act.

(B) The Dorchester County Election Commission is abolished effective March 15, 1998, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County as established under Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3. (A) The terms of the members of the Dorchester 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 Dorchester 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 Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration or the Dorchester 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.

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