H*4732(Rat #0390, Act #0583)  General Bill, By Richardson, J.P. Harrelson, 
W.D. Keyserling and J.M. White
 A Bill to create the Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration,
 provide for the number and manner of appointment of its members, terms,
 filling of vacancies, election of the Board's Chairman, and related matters
 and to abolish the Beaufort County Election Commission and Beaufort County
 Registration Board and devolve their powers and duties upon this new Board.

   02/15/94  House  Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference HJ-5
   02/16/94  House  Read second time HJ-28
   02/17/94  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-21
   02/22/94  Senate Intd. & placed on local & uncontested cal. w/o
                     reference SJ-11
   03/29/94  Senate Amended SJ-22
   03/29/94  Senate Read second time SJ-22
   03/30/94  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-27
   04/05/94  House  Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-36
   04/14/94         Ratified R 390
   04/20/94         Signed By Governor
   04/20/94         Effective date 04/20/94
   05/10/94         Copies available

AN ACT TO CREATE THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND REGISTRATION, PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER AND MANNER OF APPOINTMENT OF ITS MEMBERS, TERMS, FILLING OF VACANCIES, ELECTION OF THE BOARD'S CHAIRMAN, AND RELATED MATTERS AND TO ABOLISH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION AND BEAUFORT COUNTY REGISTRATION BOARD AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THIS NEW BOARD.

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

Board created

SECTION 1. (A) There is created the Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration. There are nine members of the board who must be appointed by the Governor, four of whom must be appointed upon the recommendation of the Senators representing Beaufort County and the remaining upon the recommendation of a majority of the Beaufort County Legislative Delegation for terms of fours years until their successors are appointed and qualify except that of those first appointed, five must be appointed for initial terms of two years each, the initial terms of all members to be designated by the appointing authority. A member of the board may not serve more than two consecutive four year terms or eight consecutive years, whichever is longer.

(B) Vacancies on the board must be filled by appointment in the manner of original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(C) Members of the board and its staff shall receive that compensation as may be appropriated by the governing body of Beaufort County upon the recommendation of the county legislative delegation.

(D) One of the nine members of the board shall serve as its chairman and the member to serve as chairman must be designated by the county legislative delegation.

(E) A member who misses three consecutive unexcused meetings of the board is considered to have resigned his office and a vacancy therein shall exist which must be filled in the manner provided by subsection (B).

Commission and board abolished

SECTION 2. The Beaufort County Election Commission and the Beaufort County Registration Board are abolished on the effective date of this act and the powers and duties of the commissioners of Election and the Registration Board are devolved upon the new Board of Elections and Registration created by Section 1 of this act.

Current members

SECTION 3. The current members of the Beaufort County Election Commission and the Beaufort County Registration Board shall act as the governing body of the new Beaufort County Board of Elections and Registration established pursuant to the provisions of this act until such time as the nine members of this board appointed in the manner provided by this act take office. At this time, the terms of these former commissioners of election and registration board members expire.

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 20th day of April, 1994.