South Carolina General Assembly
110th Session, 1993-1994

Bill 520


                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               Senate
Bill Number:                    520
Ratification Number:            347
Primary Sponsor:                Thomas
Type of Legislation:            GB
Subject:                        Poll watchers, identification
                                badges
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19940407
Computer Document Number:       JIC/5471HC.93
Governor's Action:              V
Date of Governor's Action:      19940420
Introduced Date:                19930309
Date of Last Amendment:         19940407
Last History Body:              Senate
Last History Date:              19940517
Last History Type:              Veto sustained
Action on Governor's Veto:      S
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Thomas
                                Wilson
Type of Legislation:            General Bill

History


Bill   Body    Date          Action Description              CMN  Leg Involved
----   ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---  ------------
520    Senate  19940517      Veto sustained
520    ------  19940420      Vetoed by Governor
520    ------  19940414      Ratified R 347
520    Senate  19940407      Conference Committee Report     98
                             received, adopted, enrolled
                             for ratification
520    House   19940406      Conference Committee Report     98
                             received, adopted
520    Senate  19940303      Conference powers granted,      98   Matthew
                             appointed Senators to                Holland
                             Committee of Conference              Thomas
520    House   19940301      Conference powers granted,      98   J. Wilder
                             appointed Senators to                Cromer
                             Committee of Conference              T.C.
Alexander
520    House   19940301      Insists upon amendment
520    Senate  19940301      Non-concurrence in House
                             amendment
520    House   19940224      Read third time, returned to
                             Senate with amendment
520    House   19940223      Amended, read second time
520    House   19940215      Debate adjourned until
                             Wednesday, February 23, 1994
520    House   19940209      Debate adjourned until
                             Tuesday, February 15, 1994
520    House   19940203      Committee Report: Favorable     25
                             with amendment
520    House   19930504      Introduced, read first time,    25
                             referred to Committee
520    Senate  19930430      Read third time, sent to House
520    Senate  19930429      Read second time, unanimous
                             consent for third reading on
                             Friday, April 30, 1993
520    Senate  19930428      Committee Report: Favorable     11
520    Senate  19930309      Introduced, read first time,    11
                             referred to Committee

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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)


(Rxxx, S520)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-13-860, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT, QUALIFICATIONS, IDENTIFICATION, AND CONDUCT OF POLL WATCHERS, SO AS TO SPECIFY THE MAXIMUM SIZE AND SIZE OF LETTERING ON IDENTIFICATION BADGES AND TO PROHIBIT BADGES IN FLUORESCENT COLORS AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-25-180, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF CAMPAIGN LITERATURE ON ELECTION DAY WITHIN TWO HUNDRED FEET OF A BUILDING WHERE A POLLING PLACE IS LOCATED, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE A CANDIDATE TO APPEAR AND GREET VOTERS IF HE IS NOT INTIMIDATING, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE CANDIDATE MAY WEAR A LABEL IDENTIFYING HIMSELF AS A CANDIDATE AND THE OFFICE HE IS SEEKING AND PROVIDE CONDITIONS ON THE WEARING OF THE LABEL.

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

Pollwatcher badges

SECTION 1. Section 7-13-860 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 7-13-860. Each candidate who is not unopposed in the primary and each candidate in a general election may appoint a watcher for any voting place that he may desire. However, in any general or special election, all candidates who are certified by a political party must be jointly represented at each polling place that they may desire by not more than two watchers from the party for each one thousand registered voters or fraction of a thousand registered voters registered at the polling place. Every watcher appointed under this section must be a qualified voter in the county where he is to watch, and must be certified to the managers of the voting precinct to which assigned, in writing, signed by the candidate or by an appropriate party official as having been designated to act as a watcher. Watchers at all times shall wear appropriate, visible identification specifying the candidate or party which they represent. No watcher shall conduct himself in a manner that interferes in the orderly conduct of the election or influences any voter in the casting of his ballot. The identification badge of a pollwatcher may not exceed four and one-fourth inches by four and one-fourth inches with individual letters on the badge not exceeding one-quarter inch in height or width. Badges may not be a color that has a fluorescent quality."

Greeting permitted

SECTION 2. Section 7-25-180 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 393 of 1990, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-25-180. (A) It is unlawful on an election day within two hundred feet of any entrance used by the voters to enter the polling place for a person to distribute any type of campaign literature or place any political posters. The poll manager shall use every reasonable means to keep the area within two hundred feet of any such entrance clear of political literature and displays, and the county and municipal law enforcement officers, upon request of a poll manager, shall remove or cause to be removed any material within two hundred feet of any such entrance distributed or displayed in violation of this section.

(B) A candidate may appear and greet voters in line as long as he is not intimidating voters or interfering with the orderly election process. A candidate may wear within two hundred feet of the polling place a label no larger than four and one-fourth inches by four and one-fourth inches that contains the candidate's name and the office he is seeking. If the candidate enters the polling place, he may not display any of this identification, including, but not limited to, campaign stickers or buttons.

(C) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to prohibit a registered voter from wearing any campaign sticker, button, t-shirt, or hat while waiting to vote."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

In the Senate House ____________________________________________.

______________________________________________

President of the Senate

______________________________________________

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Approved the ____________ day of ________________________, 1994.

______________________________________________

Governor

Printer's Date -- April 19, 1994 -- S.

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