S 0699 General Bill, By Martin
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 7-15-420, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO RECEIPT, TABULATION, AND REPORTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, SO AS TO
 PROVIDE THAT THE MANAGERS MAY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EXAMINING AND TABULATING
 ABSENTEE BALLOTS AT NOON ON ELECTION DAY.

   04/05/05  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-8
   04/05/05  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-8
   04/11/05  Senate Referred to Subcommittee: Martin (ch), Malloy,
                     Campsen, Williams

TO AMEND SECTION 7-15-420, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO RECEIPT, TABULATION, AND REPORTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE MANAGERS MAY BEGIN THE PROCESS OF EXAMINING AND TABULATING ABSENTEE BALLOTS AT NOON ON ELECTION DAY.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 7-15-420 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 7-15-420.    The county election commission, municipal election commission, or executive committee of each municipal party in the case of municipal primary elections is responsible for the tabulation and reporting of absentee ballots. At 2:00 p.m. noon on election day, the managers appointed pursuant to Section 7-13-70, and in the presence of any watchers who have been appointed pursuant to Section 7-13-860, may begin the process of examining the return-addressed envelopes that have been received by the county registration board making certain that each oath has been properly signed and witnessed and includes the address of the witness. All return-addressed envelopes received by the county registration board before the time for closing the polls must be examined in this manner. No ballot may be counted unless the oath is properly signed and witnessed, nor may any ballot be counted which is received by the county registration board after time for closing of the polls. The printed instructions required by Section 7-15-370(2) to be sent each absentee ballot applicant must notify him that his vote will not be counted in either of these events. If a ballot is not challenged, the sealed return-addressed envelope must be opened by the managers, and the enclosed envelope marked `Ballot Herein' removed and placed in a locked box or boxes. After all return-addressed envelopes have been emptied in this manner, the managers shall remove the ballots contained in the envelopes marked `Ballot Herein', placing each one in the ballot box provided for the applicable contest. When the polls have closed and all absentee ballots have been placed in the ballot boxes, they Beginning at noon on election day, the absentee ballots must be tabulated and reported as a separate precinct in the same manner as other ballots of the county are counted on election day. The absentee voter precinct is a countywide precinct and a part of each election district in the county. If any ballot is challenged, the return-addressed envelope may must not be opened, but must be put aside and the procedure set forth in Section 7-13-830 must be utilized; but the absentee voter must be given reasonable notice of the challenged ballot."

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