S 1254 General Bill, By Holland
 A Bill to amend Section 48-11-100, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina,
 1976, relating to the governing body of a watershed conservation district, so
 as to provide that a candidate for the Office of Director of a watershed
 conservation district must file a declaration of candidacy not later than noon
 September first with the county election commission, and to provide that if
 the watershed district is located in more than one county, that the
 declaration of candidacy must be filed with the State Election Commission.

   03/19/96  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-5
   03/19/96  Senate Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Natural
                     Resources SJ-5

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 48-11-100, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE GOVERNING BODY OF A WATERSHED CONSERVATION DISTRICT, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF A WATERSHED CONSERVATION DISTRICT MUST FILE A DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY NOT LATER THAN NOON SEPTEMBER FIRST WITH THE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IF A WATERSHED DISTRICT IS LOCATED IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY, THAT THE DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY MUST BE FILED WITH THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.

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

SECTION 1. Section 48-11-100(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(B) The first directors of the watershed conservation district after the district has been created must be elected in a nonpartisan election conducted by the county election commission when county officers are elected in the general election. To be placed on the ballot each candidate shall must submit to the county election commission a nominating petition with the signatures of twenty-five qualified electors residing in the watershed conservation district, or, if less than fifty qualified electors reside in the district, a majority of the qualified electors. The official number of qualified electors residing in a watershed conservation district is the number of registered electors residing in the district and registered one hundred twenty days before the date of the election for which the nomination petition is being submitted. The candidate named in each petition must be placed on the appropriate official ballot for the election if the petition is submitted to the county election commission not later than twelve noon on August first or, if August first falls on Sunday, not later than twelve noon on the following Monday. The form of the petition must comply with the requirements in Section 7-11-80 pertaining to the conduct of general elections not conflicting with this section declaration of candidacy not later than noon September first, or if this date falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, not later than noon the following Monday. If a watershed district lies in more than one county, the declaration of candidacy must be filed with the State Election Commission. This election must be conducted pursuant to Title 7, mutatis mutandis, except as otherwise provided in this section. The five elected directors, under the general supervision of the board of commissioners of the soil and water conservation district, are the governing body of the watershed conservation district."

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