H 3207  General Bill, By Weeks, Robinson, Thigpen, Cobb-Hunter and Henegan

Similar(S 310, H 3268, H 3519, H 3822, H 4036)
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 7-15-325 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A THIRTY-DAY PERIOD DURING WHICH ALL QUALIFIED
 ELECTORS OF THIS STATE MUST BE ALLOWED TO CAST AN IN-PERSON ABSENTEE BALLOT
 WITHOUT BEING REQUIRED TO ASSERT, STATE, OFFER, OR PROVIDE AN EXCUSE,
 JUSTIFICATION, OR REASON.

   12/09/20  House  Prefiled
   12/09/20  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
   01/12/21  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 115)
   01/12/21  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 115)
   01/14/21  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Henegan

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 7-15-325 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A THIRTY-DAY PERIOD DURING WHICH ALL QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THIS STATE MUST BE ALLOWED TO CAST AN IN-PERSON ABSENTEE BALLOT WITHOUT BEING REQUIRED TO ASSERT, STATE, OFFER, OR PROVIDE AN EXCUSE, JUSTIFICATION, OR REASON.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 5, Chapter 15, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 7-15-325.    (A)    For a thirty-day period, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, except as provided in subsection (B), and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately prior to any election for which absentee voting is permitted, all qualified electors of this State must be allowed to cast an in-person absentee ballot without being required to assert, state, offer, or provide an excuse, justification, or reason. Each county board of voter registration and elections must establish at least one in-person absentee voting location and may establish up to six in-person absentee voting locations. If the election for which absentee voting is permitted falls on a Saturday, then the last day for in-person absentee voting is the Thursday immediately preceding the election.

    (B)    During the thirty-day in-person absentee voting period, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, provided for in this section, all in-person absentee voting locations must be open each day from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. However, all in-person absentee voting locations must be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding the election."

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