H 3685 General Bill, By Mack, Cobb-Hunter, Brantley, J.H. Neal, Sellers, 
Alexander, Anderson, Bowers, Breeland, Hodges, Howard, Jefferson and Miller

Similar(S 255)
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 7-13-845 SO AS TO DEFINE A "SHORT STATE BALLOT" AND "SHORT COUNTY BALLOT" TO
 ALLOW AN ELECTOR TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATES IN ANY PRECINCT IN THE STATE OR IN THE
 COUNTY IN WHICH HE RESIDES, TO ALLOW A QUALIFIED ELECTOR TO CAST A PROVISIONAL
 BALLOT IN ANY PRECINCT IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH HE IS REGISTERED, TO PROVIDE A
 PROCEDURE FOR CASTING THE BALLOT, AND TO PROVIDE HOW THE QUALIFIED ELECTOR MAY
 CAST THE BALLOT ONLY FOR OFFICES FOR WHICH HE IS QUALIFIED.

   03/08/07  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-14
   03/08/07  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-14

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-845 SO AS TO DEFINE A "SHORT STATE BALLOT" AND "SHORT COUNTY BALLOT" TO ALLOW AN ELECTOR TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATES IN ANY PRECINCT IN THE STATE OR IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH HE RESIDES, TO ALLOW A QUALIFIED ELECTOR TO CAST A PROVISIONAL BALLOT IN ANY PRECINCT IN THE COUNTY IN WHICH HE IS REGISTERED, TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR CASTING THE BALLOT, AND TO PROVIDE HOW THE QUALIFIED ELECTOR MAY CAST THE BALLOT ONLY FOR OFFICES FOR WHICH HE IS QUALIFIED.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 13, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 7-13-845.    (A)    For purposes of this section:

(1)    'Short state ballot' means a voting ballot on which is printed the names of candidates for federal and state constitutional offices.

(2)    'Short county ballot' means a voting ballot on which is printed the names of candidates for federal, state constitutional and countywide offices.

(B)    Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 7-5-440, 7-13-820, and 7-13-830, a qualified elector may cast a provisional ballot in any precinct in the county in which he is a qualified elector.

(C)    The ballot that is cast must be only for those offices for which he is qualified to vote.

(D)(1)    The State Election Commission shall provide county election commissions with electronic short state ballots which allows an elector only to cast a vote for a federal and state constitutional office at a precinct in the State. Upon presentation of a valid voter registration card and appropriate photo identification, the elector may cast a regular short state ballot. If the elector can not provide a valid voter registration card and the poll manager can not verify that the elector is registered, the ballot must be provisional.

(2)    The State Election Commission shall provide county election commissions with electronic short county ballots which allows an elector only to cast a vote for a federal, state constitutional, and countywide office. Upon presentation of a valid voter registration card and appropriate photo identification, the elector may cast a regular short county ballot. If the elector can not provide a valid voter registration card and the poll manager can not verify the elector is registered in that county, the ballot must be provisional."

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