S*0583(Rat #0441, Act #0408 of 1996)  General Bill, By Russell
 A Bill to amend Sections 7-5-120 and 7-5-180, both as amended, Code of Laws of
 South Carolina, 1976, relating to the qualifications and disqualifications for
 registration to vote, so as to change the age qualification to be consistent
 with proposed constitutional requirements for allowing a citizen who has not
 attained the age of eighteen to be a qualified elector, and to provide that
 the above provisions take effect upon ratification of this amendment to
 Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State permitting the
 above.-amended title

   02/28/95  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-11
   02/28/95  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-11
   04/17/96  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary SJ-12
   04/23/96  Senate Amended SJ-46
   04/23/96  Senate Read second time SJ-46
   04/25/96  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-11
   04/30/96  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-13
   04/30/96  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-14
   05/15/96  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Judiciary HJ-2
   05/21/96  House  Amended HJ-65
   05/21/96  House  Read second time HJ-66
   05/22/96  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments HJ-14
   05/28/96  Senate House amendment amended SJ-20
   05/28/96  Senate Returned to House with amendments SJ-20
   05/30/96  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-81
   05/30/96         Ratified R 441
   06/04/96         Signed By Governor
   06/04/96         Effective date This Act takes effect on the
                     ratification of the amendment to Section 4,
                     Article II of the Constitution of this State to
                     change the age qualification to vote
   06/27/96         Copies available
   06/27/96         Act No. 408

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 7-5-120 AND 7-5-180, BOTH AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION TO VOTE, SO AS TO CHANGE THE AGE QUALIFICATION TO BE CONSISTENT WITH PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALLOWING A CITIZEN WHO HAS NOT ATTAINED THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN TO BE A QUALIFIED ELECTOR, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE ABOVE PROVISIONS TAKE EFFECT UPON RATIFICATION OF THIS AMENDMENT TO SECTION 4, ARTICLE II OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE PERMITTING THE ABOVE.

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

Qualifications for voting

SECTION 1. Section 7-5-120 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 365 of 1994, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-5-120. (A) Every citizen of this State and the United States who applies for registration must be registered if he meets the following qualifications:

(1) the age qualification as provided in Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State;

(2) is not laboring under disabilities named in the Constitution of 1895 of this State; and

(3) is a resident in the county and in the polling precinct in which the elector offers to vote.

(B) A person is disqualified from being registered or voting if he:

(1) is mentally incompetent as adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction; or

(2) is serving a term of imprisonment resulting from a conviction of a crime; or

(3) is convicted of a felony or offenses against the election laws, unless the disqualification has been removed by service of the sentence, including probation and parole time unless sooner pardoned."

Citizen not attaining age to vote

SECTION 2. Section 7-5-180 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 589 of 1988, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-5-180. Except as otherwise provided by law, a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years before the closing of the books of registration preceding any election, including presidential primary elections, but attains that age before the next ensuing election appears before the board of registration and makes application for registration, under oath as to the facts above stated entitling a person to registration, the board shall register the applicant, if he is otherwise qualified. Any person not laboring under the disabilities named in the Constitution and in Section 7-5-120 and whose qualification as an elector is completed after the closing of the registration books, but before the next ensuing election, has the right to apply for and secure registration at any time within one hundred twenty days immediately preceding the closing of the books for the election or for the primary election preceding the election. Written notification of approval or rejection must be issued personally or mailed by the board to each applicant on a form to be prescribed and provided by the State Election Commission. The decision of the board of registration may be appealed as provided by Section 7-5-230."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect on the ratification of the amendment to Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this State to change the age qualification to vote.

Approved the 4th day of June, 1996.