H 3031 Session 123 (2019-2020) H 3031 General Bill, By Funderburk, Hosey, Norrell, R.Williams and Henderson-Myers A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-150, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CLOSING OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION BOOKS, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DATE ON WHICH THE REGISTRATION BOOKS MUST BE CLOSED FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE EACH ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-155, RELATING TO THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS BY MAIL, SO AS TO REDUCE FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS THE TIME REQUIRED BEFORE AN ELECTION TO FILE THE APPROPRIATE STATE OR FEDERAL REGISTRATION BY MAIL APPLICATION FORM; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-185, RELATING TO ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN APPLICATION IS EFFECTIVE UPON RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION IF THE APPLICATION IS RECEIVED TWENTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE PRECINCT OF THE PERSON SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-220, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT REGISTRATION MADE THIRTY DAYS OR LESS BEFORE AN ELECTION IS NOT VALID FOR THAT ELECTION, SO AS TO SHORTEN THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE FROM THIRTY DAYS OR LESS TO TWENTY DAYS OR LESS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-330, RELATING TO THE COMPLETION, RECEIPT, OR DISPOSITION OF A VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION, SO AS TO SHORTEN APPLICABLE DEADLINES REGARDING THE COMPLETION, RECEIPT, OR DISPOSITION OF CERTAIN VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-440, RELATING TO FAILURES TO NOTIFY COUNTY BOARDS OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF CHANGES IN ADDRESS, SO AS TO CHANGE THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH NOTIFICATION DOES NOT OCCUR FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-7-990, RELATING TO THE ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACES, SO AS TO CHANGE THE PERIOD FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION IN WHICH AN ELECTOR MAY APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE A TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ALLOWING THE ELECTOR TO VOTE AT A COUNTY BARRIER-FREE POLLING PLACE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-15-120, RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS, SO AS TO REDUCE FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION THE DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION.
Indicates New Matter AMENDED February 13, 2019 H. 3031 Introduced by Reps. Funderburk, Hosey, Norrell, R. Williams and Henderson-Myers S. Printed 2/13/19--H. Read the first time January 8, 2019.
TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-150, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE CLOSING OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION BOOKS, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DATE ON WHICH THE REGISTRATION BOOKS MUST BE CLOSED FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE EACH ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-155, RELATING TO THE REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS BY MAIL, SO AS TO REDUCE FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS THE TIME REQUIRED BEFORE AN ELECTION TO FILE THE APPROPRIATE STATE OR FEDERAL REGISTRATION BY MAIL APPLICATION FORM; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-185, RELATING TO ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN APPLICATION IS EFFECTIVE UPON RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION IF THE APPLICATION IS RECEIVED TWENTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE PRECINCT OF THE PERSON SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-220, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT THAT REGISTRATION MADE THIRTY DAYS OR LESS BEFORE AN ELECTION IS NOT VALID FOR THAT ELECTION, SO AS TO SHORTEN THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE FROM THIRTY DAYS OR LESS TO TWENTY DAYS OR LESS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-330, RELATING TO THE COMPLETION, RECEIPT, OR DISPOSITION OF A VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION, SO AS TO SHORTEN APPLICABLE DEADLINES REGARDING THE COMPLETION, RECEIPT, OR DISPOSITION OF CERTAIN VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-5-440, RELATING TO FAILURES TO NOTIFY COUNTY BOARDS OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF CHANGES IN ADDRESS, SO AS TO CHANGE THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH NOTIFICATION DOES NOT OCCUR FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 7-7-990, RELATING TO THE ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACES, SO AS TO CHANGE THE PERIOD FROM THIRTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION TO TWENTY DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION IN WHICH AN ELECTOR MAY APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE A TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ALLOWING THE ELECTOR TO VOTE AT A COUNTY BARRIER-FREE POLLING PLACE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-15-120, RELATING TO ABSENTEE VOTER REGISTRATION FORMS, SO AS TO REDUCE FROM THIRTY DAYS TO TWENTY DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION THE DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION. Amend Title To Conform Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina: SECTION 1. Section 7-5-150 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 7-5-150. The registration books SECTION 2. Section 7-5-155 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 7-5-155.
(1) Subject to the provision of Section 7-5-150, (2) If the county board of voter registration and elections determines that the applicant is qualified and his application is legible and complete, the board shall mail the voter written notification of approval on a form to be prescribed and provided by the State Election Commission pursuant to Section 7-5-180. When the county board of voter registration and elections mails the written notification of approval, it must do so without requiring the elector to sign anything in the presence of a member of the board, a deputy member, or a registration clerk, and the attestation of the elector's signature is not required so long as the conditions set forth above are met.
(3)
(4)
County boards of voter registration and elections shall distribute application forms to various locations in their respective counties, including city halls and public libraries, where they must be readily available to the public.
SECTION 3. Section 7-5-185(B)(1) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(1) An application submitted pursuant to this section is effective upon receipt of the application by the State Election Commission if the application is received SECTION 4. Section 7-5-220 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 7-5-220. Except as provided in Section 7-5-150, registration made SECTION 5. Section 7-5-330 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"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
(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
(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
(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 (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 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 and may 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 (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 reregister to vote. (3) The county board of voter registration and elections shall correct an 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." SECTION 6. Section 7-5-440(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) A qualified elector who has moved from an address in one precinct to an address in another precinct within the same county, or has moved to another county within the (1) must be permitted to correct the voting records and vote provisional ballots containing only the races for federal, statewide, countywide, and municipalwide offices pursuant to the provisions of Section 7-13-830 at the elector's former polling place, upon oral or written affirmation by the elector of the new address before an election official at that polling place; or (2) must be permitted to correct the voting records and vote at a central location located at the main office of the county board of voter registration and elections in his new county of residence where a list of eligible voters is maintained, upon written affirmation by the elector of the new address on a standard form provided at the central location." SECTION 7. Section 7-7-990(A)(2) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(2) Elector has applied in writing to and obtained from the county board of voter registration and elections SECTION 8. Section 7-15-120 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 7-15-120. Persons listed in Section 7-15-110, their spouses, and dependents residing with them, may register by using either federal Standard Form 76, or SECTION 9. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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