South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 3207


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


(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 7-15-325 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A THIRTY-DAY PERIOD DURING WHICH ALL QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THIS STATE MUST BE ALLOWED TO CAST AN IN-PERSON ABSENTEE BALLOT WITHOUT BEING REQUIRED TO ASSERT, STATE, OFFER, OR PROVIDE AN EXCUSE, JUSTIFICATION, OR REASON.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 5, Chapter 15, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 7-15-325.    (A)    For a thirty-day period, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, except as provided in subsection (B), and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately prior to any election for which absentee voting is permitted, all qualified electors of this State must be allowed to cast an in-person absentee ballot without being required to assert, state, offer, or provide an excuse, justification, or reason. Each county board of voter registration and elections must establish at least one in-person absentee voting location and may establish up to six in-person absentee voting locations. If the election for which absentee voting is permitted falls on a Saturday, then the last day for in-person absentee voting is the Thursday immediately preceding the election.

    (B)    During the thirty-day in-person absentee voting period, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, provided for in this section, all in-person absentee voting locations must be open each day from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. However, all in-person absentee voting locations must be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding the election."

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

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