Bill 3399

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                    3399
Ratification Number:            91
Act Number:                     25
Type of Legislation:            General Bill GB
Introducing Body:               House
Introduced Date:                19970205
Primary Sponsor:                Bauer
All Sponsors:                   Bauer, Hinson, Beck, F. Smith,
                                Simrill, Baxley, Cobb-Hunter, J. Smith,
                                Neilson, Quinn, Sandifer, Wilkins,
                                Knotts, Hawkins, Woodrum, Whatley,
                                Barrett, Edge, Rice, Fleming, Kennedy,
                                Scott, T. Brown, Riser, Davenport,
                                Martin, Lloyd, Allison, Altman, McLeod,
                                Cromer, Lanford, J. Brown, Howard,
                                Stuart, Leach, Phillips, Pinckney,
                                Parks, Rodgers, Hamilton, Byrd, Koon,
                                Mack, Kinon, Kirsh, Webb, Barfield,
                                Littlejohn, Miller, Bowers and
                                Limehouse 
Drafted Document Number:        pt\2863dw.97
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19970418
Governor's Action:              U Became law without signature of
                                Governor
Date of Governor's Action:      19970522
Subject:                        Absentee ballots, written
                                certification from employer no longer
                                required, Elections

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

------  19970604  Act No. A25
------  19970522  Unsigned, became law without
                  signature of Governor
------  19970515  Ratified R91
Senate  19970418  Read third time, enrolled for
                  ratification
Senate  19970417  Read second time, unanimous
                  consent for third reading on
                  Friday, 19970418
Senate  19970416  Committee report: Favorable              11 SJ
Senate  19970401  Introduced, read first time,             11 SJ
                  referred to Committee
House   19970326  Read third time, sent to Senate
House   19970325  Read second time
House   19970319  Committee report: Favorable              25 HJ
House   19970205  Introduced, read first time,             25 HJ
                  referred to Committee

(A25, R91, H3399)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-15-320, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PERSONS QUALIFIED TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE VOTING, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT AN EMPLOYER SIGN A WRITTEN CERTIFICATION THAT HIS EMPLOYEE'S EMPLOYMENT PREVENTS HIM FROM VOTING IN HIS COUNTY OF RESIDENCE.

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

Voting by absentee ballot

SECTION 1. Section 7-15-320 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 434 of 1996, is further amended to read:

"Section 7-15-320. A qualified elector in any of the following categories must be permitted to vote by absentee ballot in all elections when he is absent from his county of residence on election day during the hours the polls are open, to an extent that it prevents him from voting in person except that physically disabled persons, certified poll watchers, poll managers, county voter registration board members and staff, and county election commission members and staff working on election day, a person admitted to a hospital as an emergency patient on the day of an election or within a four-day period before an election, and persons whose employment obligations required that they be at their place of employment during the hours that the polls are open and present written certification of that obligation to the county registration board, and persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial may vote by absentee ballot whether or not absent from their county of residence:

(1) students, their spouses, and dependents residing with them;

(2) members of the Armed Forces and Merchant Marines of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them;

(3) persons serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations (USO) who are attached to and serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, their spouses, and dependents residing with them;

(4) persons in employment;

(5) physically disabled persons;

(6) governmental employees, their spouses, and dependents residing with them;

(7) electors with a death or funeral in the family within a three-day period before the election;

(8) persons on vacation (who by virtue of vacation plans will be absent from their county of residence on election day);

(9) certified poll watchers, poll managers, county voter registration board members and staff, county election commission members and staff working on election day;

(10) overseas citizens;

(11) persons attending sick or physically disabled persons;

(12) persons admitted to hospitals as emergency patients on the day of an election or within a four-day period before the election;

(13) persons who will be serving as jurors in a state or federal court on election day;

(14) persons sixty-five years of age or older;

(15) persons confined to a jail or pre-trial facility pending disposition of arrest or trial."

Time effective

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

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 5/22/97.