South Carolina General Assembly
115th Session, 2003-2004

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A127, R2, S158

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Ravenel and Grooms
Document Path: l:\council\bills\dka\3081dw03.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3779

Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2003
Introduced in the House on February 4, 2003
Passed by the General Assembly on February 13, 2003
Governor's Action: February 21, 2003, Vetoed
Legislative veto action(s): Veto overridden

Summary: Charleston County Elections and Voter Registration Board established; Board of Voter Registration abolished

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    1/8/2003  Senate  Prefiled
    1/8/2003  Senate  Referred to delegation from Charleston
   1/14/2003  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-87
   1/14/2003  Senate  Referred to delegation from Charleston SJ-87
   1/28/2003  Senate  Recalled from delegation Charleston SJ-3
   1/29/2003  Senate  Read second time SJ-19
   1/30/2003  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-15
    2/4/2003  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-9
    2/4/2003  House   Referred to Charleston Delegation HJ-9
    2/5/2003  House   Delegation report: Favorable Charleston Delegation HJ-17
   2/11/2003  House   Objection by Rep. Mack, Breeland, Miller and R Brown 
                        HJ-20
   2/11/2003  House   Objection by Rep. Harrell, Altman, Limehouse, and 
                        Scarborough HJ-20
   2/11/2003  House   Requests for debate-Rep(s). JR Smith HJ-20
   2/12/2003  House   Read second time HJ-28
   2/13/2003  House   Read third time and enrolled HJ-21
   2/18/2003          Ratified R 2
   2/21/2003          Vetoed by Governor
   2/25/2003  Senate  Veto overridden by originating body Yeas-45  Nays-0 SJ-3
   2/27/2003  House   Debate adjourned on veto consideration HJ-23
    3/4/2003  House   Debate adjourned on veto consideration HJ-87
    3/5/2003  House   Debate adjourned on veto consideration HJ-19
    3/6/2003  House   Veto sustained Yeas-8 Nays-6 HJ-18
    3/6/2003  House   Vote to override: Yeas-6  Nays-8--failed to receive the 
                        necessary 2/3 vote to override HJ-18
    3/6/2003  House   Motion noted- Reconsider vote whereby the Veto was 
                        sustained HJ-34
   3/19/2003  House   Debate adjourned on motion to reconsider until Tuesday, 
                        March 25, 2003 HJ-28
   3/25/2003  House   Debate adjourned on motion to reconsider until Tuesday, 
                        April 1, 2003 HJ-36
    4/1/2003  House   Reconsider vote whereby veto was sustained HJ-32
    4/1/2003  House   Veto overridden Yeas-14  Nays-0 HJ-32
    4/4/2003          Copies available
    4/4/2003          Effective date 04/01/03
  10/23/2003          Act No. 127

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/8/2003
1/28/2003
2/5/2003


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

(A127, R2, S158)

AN ACT TO CREATE THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF CHARLESTON COUNTY, ABOLISH THE CHARLESTON COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION, AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION.

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

Establish board, terms, appointments

SECTION    1.    Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(A)(1)    There is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Charleston County to be composed of nine members appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators representing the county and a majority of the members of the House of Representatives representing the county.

(2)    The term of office for the members of the board is two years commencing on the fifteenth day of March in each odd-numbered year. In case of a vacancy from any cause on the board, the vacancy must be filled in the same manner of original appointment, as provided in this section, for the unexpired term. A majority of the senators representing the county and a majority of the members of the House of Representatives representing the county shall appoint the board's chairman, and the chairman shall serve a term of two years and may be reappointed to that office for any number of successive terms without limitation. The board may choose to elect a vice chair, a secretary, and other officers as the board considers appropriate. The board shall employ a director, determine the compensation, and determine the number and compensation of other staff positions. Salaries must be consistent with the compensation schedules established by the county for similar positions. The director is responsible for hiring and management of the staff positions established by the board that report to the director. Staff positions are subject to the personnel system policies and procedures by which all county employees are regulated, except that the director serves at the pleasure of the board.

(B)    The Governor shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the appointments made pursuant to subsection (A) of this section.

(C)    The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Charleston County shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the name of the person elected as chairman of the board pursuant to subsection (A) of this section.

(D)    A member who misses three consecutive meetings of the board is considered to have resigned his office and a vacancy on the board exists which must be filled in the manner provided in subsection (A) of this section. This section does not apply to a member who presents a verifiable doctor's certificate that illness prevented his attendance at a meeting.

(E)    Except as otherwise specifically provided in subsections (A), (B), (C), and (D) of this section, the provisions of law contained in Title 7 of the 1976 Code of Laws relating to county boards of voter registration and county election commissions apply to the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Charleston County, mutatis mutandis.

Abolish Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Charleston County Election Commission

SECTION    2.    (A)    The Charleston County Board of Voter Registration is abolished effective ninety days after this act is approved by the Governor, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Charleston County as established pursuant to Section 1 of this act.

(B)    The Charleston County Election Commission is abolished effective ninety days after this act is approved by the Governor, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Charleston County as established pursuant to Section 1 of this act.

Expiration of terms of members of Charleston County Board of Voter Registration and Charleston County Election Commission

SECTION    3.    (A)    The terms of the members of the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon the abolishment of that board pursuant to subsection (A) of Section 2 of this act.

(B)    The terms of the members of the Charleston County Election Commission, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon abolishment of that commission pursuant to subsection (B) of Section 2 of this act.

(C)     Notwithstanding subsections (A) and (B) of this section or any other provision of this act, a person serving as a member of the Charleston County Board of Voter Registration or the Charleston County Election Commission may not be removed from office, nor may that board and that commission be abolished, until this act has been given final approval by the United States Department of Justice.

Time effective

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 18th day of February, 2003.

Vetoed by the Governor -- 2/21/03.

Veto overridden by Senate -- 2/25/03.

Veto overridden by House -- 4/1/03.

__________

This web page was last updated on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:14 A.M.