South Carolina General Assembly
118th Session, 2009-2010

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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

S. 252

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Ford and Leventis
Document Path: l:\council\bills\dka\3091dw09.docx
Companion/Similar bill(s): 22, 3060, 3068, 3633

Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2009
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary

Summary: Election Commission

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/13/2009  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-197
   1/13/2009  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-197
   3/13/2009  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Campsen (ch), Cleary, Scott

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/13/2009

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

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-25 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE BY WHICH A QUALIFIED ELECTOR MAY CAST HIS BALLOT IN PERSON WITHOUT EXCUSE DURING AN EARLY VOTING PERIOD; TO ESTABLISH EARLY VOTING CENTERS TO ALLOW A REGISTERED COUNTY RESIDENT TO VOTE OUTSIDE THEIR PRECINCT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS; TO REQUIRE THAT THESE CENTERS BE OPEN ALL DAY ON THE TWO SATURDAYS WITHIN THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD; AND TO REQUIRE THESE LOCATIONS AND TIMES TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 30-4-80.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 1, Chapter 13, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 7-13-25.    (A)    For purposes of this section, 'election' means a statewide primary or general election.

(B)    Notwithstanding the provision of this chapter or Chapter 5 of this title, the State Election Commission shall establish a procedure by which a qualified elector may cast his ballot in person, without excuse, during an early voting period. The qualified elector may accomplish this at an early voting center in his county of residence.

(C)    Early voting centers shall allow duly registered voters of that county to vote outside their precinct.

(D)    Early voting centers must be established and maintained to ensure that voters may cast only one ballot.

(E)    A qualified elector, who is registered, may cast his ballot in person at an early voting center established by the authority charged by law with conducting an election.

(F)    The early voting period shall begin fifteen days before the statewide primary or general election and end one day before it.

(G)    The authority charged by law with conducting an election shall determine the locations and hours of operation for early voting centers, except that the early voting centers must be open on the two Saturdays within the early voting period as provided by Section 7-13-60. These locations and hours of operation for the early voting centers must be posted in accordance with the provisions of Section 30-4-80."

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

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