H*2361(Rat #0342, Act #0327 of 1986)  General Bill, By J.C. Hearn and Harvin
 A Bill to amend Section 7-9-50, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating
 to the meeting of clubs of political parties, so as to require clubs to meet
 no later than two weeks prior to the county convention instead of requiring
 them to meet in each general election year; to amend Section 7-9-70, as
 amended, relating to county conventions of political parties, so as to provide
 that county conventions must be held during a twelve-month period ending March
 thirty-first of every general election year, to authorize the county
 committees to set the date, time, and location which must be at least two
 weeks prior to the state convention, to provide that the county convention
 must be held for the purpose of reorganization only, to require the county
 committee to establish the date, time, and location that the county convention
 must be reconvened during the general election year to nominate candidates for
 public office to be filled in the general election; and to amend Section
 7-9-100, as amended, relating to state conventions of political parties, so as
 to provide that state conventions must be held during a twelve-month period
 ending April fifteenth of every general election year, to require the state
 committee, if the date for the state convention is fixed in a non-general
 election year, to be held for the purpose of reorganization only, to require
 the convention, which is held for the purpose of nominating candidates for
 public office to be filled in the general election, to be held in the general
 election year, to require the state committee, when it sets the date for the
 state convention, to set the month during the twelve-month period ending March
 thirty-first of every general election year in which the convention is to be
 held, to require the committee, if it sets a month in a non-general election
 year for the county convention, to set a month during the general election
 year for the county convention to be reconvened for the purpose of nominating
 candidates for public office to be filled in the general election, and to
 require the committee to provide advance notice of the month set for county
 conventions.

   02/07/85  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-595
   02/07/85  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-596
   03/13/85  House  Committee report: Favorable Judiciary HJ-1249
   03/19/85  House  Read second time HJ-1422
   03/20/85  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-1486
   03/20/85  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-939
   03/20/85  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-940
   01/29/86  Senate Committee report: Favorable Judiciary SJ-290
   02/06/86  Senate Read second time SJ-514
   02/06/86  Senate Ordered to third reading with notice of
                     amendments SJ-514
   02/12/86  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-553
   02/18/86         Ratified R 342
   02/20/86         Signed By Governor
   02/20/86         Effective date 02/20/86
   02/20/86         Act No. 327
   03/06/86         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-9-50, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE MEETINGS OF CLUBS OF POLITICAL PARTIES, SO AS TO REQUIRE CLUBS TO MEET NO LATER THAN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE COUNTY CONVENTION INSTEAD OF REQUIRING THEM TO MEET IN EACH GENERAL ELECTION YEAR; TO AMEND SECTION 7-9-70, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO COUNTY CONVENTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT COUNTY CONVENTIONS MUST BE HELD DURING A TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDING MARCH THIRTY-FIRST OF EVERY GENERAL ELECTION YEAR, TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY COMMITTEES TO SET THE DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION WHICH MUST BE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE STATE CONVENTION, TO PROVIDE THAT THE COUNTY CONVENTION MUST BE HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF REORGANIZATION ONLY, TO REQUIRE THE COUNTY COMMITTEE TO ESTABLISH THE DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION THAT THE COUNTY CONVENTION MUST BE RECONVENED DURING THE GENERAL ELECTION YEAR TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE TO BE FILLED IN THE GENERAL ELECTION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-9-100, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO STATE CONVENTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT STATE CONVENTIONS MUST BE HELD DURING A TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDING APRIL FIFTEENTH OF EVERY GENERAL ELECTION YEAR, TO REQUIRE THE STATE COMMITTEE, IF THE DATE FOR THE STATE CONVENTION IS FIXED IN A NONGENERAL ELECTION YEAR, TO BE HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF REORGANIZATION ONLY, TO REQUIRE THE CONVENTION, WHICH IS HELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF NOMINATING CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE TO BE FILLED IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, TO BE HELD IN THE GENERAL ELECTION YEAR, TO REQUIRE THE STATE COMMITTEE, WHEN IT SETS THE DATE FOR THE STATE CONVENTION, TO SET THE MONTH DURING THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD ENDING MARCH THIRTY-FIRST OF EVERY GENERAL ELECTION YEAR IN WHICH THE CONVENTION IS TO BE HELD, TO REQUIRE THE COMMITTEE, IF IT SETS A MONTH IN A NONGENERAL ELECTION YEAR FOR THE COUNTY CONVENTION, TO SET A MONTH DURING THE GENERAL ELECTION YEAR FOR THE COUNTY CONVENTION TO BE RECONVENED FOR THE PURPOSE OF NOMINATING CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE TO BE FILLED IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND TO REQUIRE THE COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE MONTH SET FOR COUNTY CONVENTIONS.

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

Special meetings

SECTION 1. Section 7-9-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 7-9-50. The president and five members may call all special meetings of the club, except for reorganization, provided for in the succeeding paragraph. At least forty-eight hours' public notice of all special meetings must be given in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the club is situated.

The clubs shall meet for reorganization at the usual place of meeting, at the time and on the day as determined by the county committee no later than two weeks prior to the county convention. A notice must be published by the county committee once a week for two consecutive weeks, not more than three weeks nor less than two weeks, before the meeting date in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. If any existing club fails to reorganize on the day fixed, the county chairman may fix a day for the club to meet for reorganization by giving two weeks' notice."

County conventions

SECTION 2. Section 7-9-70 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 173 of 1979, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-9-70. County conventions must be held during a twelve-month period ending March thirty-first of every general election year during a month determined by the state committee as provided in Section 7-9-100. The county committee shall set the date, time, and location during the month designated by the state committee for the county convention to be held; however, the date set by the county committee for the county convention must be at least two weeks prior to the state convention. When a month in a nongeneral election year is chosen for the county convention, it must be held for the purpose of reorganization only. The date, time, and location that the county convention must be reconvened during the general election year to nominate candidates for public office to be filled in the general election must be set by county committee. Notices, both for the convention to be held for reorganization and for the reconvened convention to nominate candidates, must be published by the county committee, once a week for two consecutive weeks, not more than three not less than two weeks, before the day in a newspaper having general circulation in the county. The convention must be composed of delegates elected from the clubs in the county, one delegate for every twenty-five members and major fraction thereof, based upon the number of votes polled in the first primary of the preceding general election year or based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election therefor from the precinct as determined by the state committee. The same basis must be used in all precincts; or if the last preceding nominations were by convention, the representation must be based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election therefor from the precinct. The list of delegates certified to by the president and secretary of each club shall constitute the temporary roll of the county convention. Where new precincts have been created or where the areas of precincts have been redefined, the party executive committee of the affected counties shall apportion delegates from the clubs representing the precincts."

State convention

SECTION 3. Section 7-9-100, as last amended by Section 2 of Act 133 of 1977, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-9-100. The state convention shall meet at Columbia during a twelve-month period ending April fifteenth of every general election year on a day and at a time fixed by the state committee and announced publicly at least ten days before the meeting. Should the state committee fix the date for the state convention in a nongeneral election year, it must be held for the purpose of reorganization only. The convention to be held for the purpose of nominating candidates for public office to be filled in the general election must be held in the general election year. At the time that the state committee sets the date for the state convention it shall set what month during the twelve month period ending March thirty-first of every general election year that the county convention must be held. If it sets a month in a nongeneral election year for the county conventions to be held for the purpose of reorganization, it must also set a month during the general election year for the county convention to be reconvened for the purpose of nominating candidates for public office to be filled in the general election. Sufficient advance notice of the month set for county conventions must be given to county executive committees so that the public notices required by law may be met. The convention must be composed of delegates elected by the county conventions, each county is entitled to one delegate for each six thousand residents of the county, according to the latest official United States Census, plus two additional members. If a county has a fractional portion of population of at least three thousand residents above its last six thousand resident figure it is entitled to an additional delegate. When the state convention assembles, it must be called to order by the chairman of the state committee. A temporary president must be nominated and elected by the convention, and after its organization the convention shall proceed immediately to the election of permanent officers and to the transaction of business. When the business has concluded it shall adjourn sine die, or may recess. But the state chairman may recall the state convention into special session at any time he determines appropriate.

The officers of the state convention must be a president, vice president, two secretaries, and a treasurer. Each county delegation to a state convention may fill any vacancies therein. Any county failing or refusing to organize under the provisions of this title may not have representation in the state convention. The state officers must be reported to the Secretary of State and to the State Election Commission within fifteen days of their election and the reports must be public record."

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.