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TO ESTABLISH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF HAMPTON COUNTY AND PROVIDE FOR THE NUMBER AND MANNER OF APPOINTMENT OF ITS MEMBERS, TERMS, FILLING OF VACANCIES, ELECTION OF THE BOARD'S CHAIRMAN, THE CHAIRMAN'S TERM OF OFFICE, AND RELATED MATTERS; TO ABOLISH THE HAMPTON COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND DEVOLVE ITS FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND POWERS UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF HAMPTON COUNTY; TO ABOLISH THE HAMPTON COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION AND DEVOLVE ITS FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND POWERS UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF HAMPTON COUNTY; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPIRATION OF THE CURRENT TERMS OF OFFICE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(A) Effective March 1, 2008, there is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Hampton County to be composed of nine members appointed to office by the Governor upon the recommendation of the legislative delegation from the county. A member may not be a paid employee of the board or of the former Hampton County Board of Voter Registration or of the former Hampton County Election Commission. The term of office for the members of the board is two years commencing on March first 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. The members of the board by majority vote shall elect the board's chairman, and the chairman shall serve a term of two years and may be re-elected to that office for any number of successive terms without limitation.
(B) The Governor shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the appointments made under (A) of this section.
(C) The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Hampton County shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the name of the person elected as chairman of the board under (A) of this section.
(D) Except as otherwise specifically provided in (A), (B), and (C) of this section, the provisions of law contained in Title 7 of the 1976 Code of Laws of South Carolina relating to county boards of voter registration and county election commissions apply to the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Hampton County, mutatis mutandis.
SECTION 2. (A) The Hampton County Board of Voter Registration is abolished effective March 1, 2008, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Hampton County as established under Section 1 of this act.
(B) The Hampton County Election Commission is abolished effective March 1, 2008, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Hampton County as established under Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 3. (A) The terms of the members of the Hampton 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 as provided under subsection (A) of Section 2 of this act.
(B) The terms of the members of the Hampton 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 as provided under subsection (B) of Section 2 of this act.
(C) Notwithstanding subsections (A) and (B) of this section or another provision of this act, a person serving as a member of the Hampton County Board of Voter Registration or the Hampton County Election Commission may not be removed from office, and that board and that commission may not be abolished, until this act has been given final approval by the United States Department of Justice.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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