reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-730. Division of precincts having more than 750 electors.

When a precinct has more than seven hundred fifty registered electors, the precinct list must be divided alphabetically so that no list contains more than seven hundred fifty electors and separate managers and facilities are provided within the polling place for each list of electors. Local registration boards dividing precincts alphabetically shall notify the State Election Commission of this division so that separate alphabetically arranged poll lists may be printed by the commission. Upon completion of the above, the provisions of Section 7-7-710 are considered to be complied with regardless of the number of electors in the precinct. Nothing in this section prevents the alteration of precincts pursuant to Section 7-7-710 where the General Assembly or local registration boards consider this alteration advisable.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-223; 1971 (57) 398; 1994 Act No. 304, Section 1, eff March 16, 1994.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-920. Places where electors shall vote in municipal elections.

In all municipal elections when the aldermen or councilmen are elected by wards, the electors shall vote at the voting place within their ward nearest their residences, and in all municipal elections when the aldermen, councilmen or other officials are elected by a vote at large within the municipality, the electors shall vote at the voting place in the precinct within which they reside which is nearest their residences.
In all municipal elections when the ward lines and the precinct lines coincide within the city limits of the municipality, electors shall vote at the nearest voting place within the ward or precinct.
In any city or town having not more than one polling precinct, established by ordinance, for municipal elections, all duly qualified electors shall be permitted to vote in municipal elections at such voting place if such electors are authorized to vote at any voting precinct within such city or town.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-211.1; 1952 Code Section 23-118; 1951 (47) 78, 229.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-940. Procedure upon removal of elector from one precinct to another.

In case of the moving of a registered elector from one precinct to another in the same county, the elector must notify the board of voter registration and elections of the county. The board must note the fact upon the proper book and give the elector a notification of the precinct into which he is moved.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-215; 1952 Code Section 23-215; 1950 (46) 2059; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 11, eff June 28, 1984.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-950. Procedure when new precinct is established.

When a new voting precinct is established by law, the county board of voter registration and elections must transfer from the books of registration the names of electors registered to vote in other voting precincts as should register and vote in the new voting precinct and shall notify electors of the change of polling precincts.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-216; 1952 Code Section 23-216; 1950 (46) 2059; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 12, eff June 28, 1984.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-960. Procedure upon change of ward or precinct boundaries; effect of annexation of part of county to municipality divided into wards.

(a) Any elector whose precinct or ward is changed by a change of ward or precinct boundaries must have notification mailed to him by the county board of voter registration and elections reflecting his new precinct or ward.
(b) Any area in the county annexed to a municipality which is divided into wards shall be made part of a ward to which it is contiguous by the county board of voter registration and elections. In the event the annexed area in a municipality divided into wards contains at least five hundred qualified electors the area annexed shall be made a separate ward which must be given a numerical designation. As soon as practicable following annexation, the board must mail all registered electors of record residing in the annexed area notification designating the number of the ward, if appropriate, and precinct to which they have been assigned.
(c) The envelope in which notifications mailed out in conjunction with the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) must have printed on the front "DO NOT FORWARD". All electors whose precinct or ward is changed by boundary changes must be added to the records of the precinct or ward to which they are assigned and deleted from those of the precinct or ward to which they were formerly assigned.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-193.2; 1975 (59) 635; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 13, eff June 28, 1984.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-970. Change of location of voting place or name of precinct.

When one voting place has been changed to another in the same township or polling precinct, or when the name of the voting place has been changed since the last general election, the registration of electors for the former voting place shall be valid and effectual for the new voting place.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-217; 1952 Code Section 23-217; 1950 (46) 2059.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-980. Registration of officers and their spouses temporarily residing at capital or county seat.

Federal, state and county officers and their spouses temporarily residing at or near the capital or county seat may register and vote in their former home precincts if they so desire.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-218; 1952 Code Section 23-218; 1950 (46) 2059; 1968 (55) 2693.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-990. Barrier-free polling places for physically handicapped electors; criteria and procedures for use.

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the county board of voter registration and elections in each county of the state is encouraged to make every polling place barrier free and shall provide at least one polling place, free of architectural barriers, which shall be known as the Countywide Barrier-Free Voting Precinct, for use by physically handicapped electors of the county. Such polling place may be within any existing polling place that now is barrier-free or that is made barrier-free. Any physically handicapped elector, regardless of his place of residence in the county, may vote in this polling place if he meets the following criteria:
(1) Elector either cannot ambulate without the aid of a wheelchair, leg braces, crutches or a walker, or elector suffers from a lung disease to such an extent that he is unable to walk without the aid of a respirator.
(2) Elector has applied in writing to and obtained from the county board of voter registration and elections thirty days before the election a voting registration transfer authorizing the elector to vote at the county barrier-free polling place. An elector whose physical handicap, as defined in item (1) of this subsection, is permanent, as certified by a licensed physician, is not required to register once he has done so initially under the provisions of this item.
B. For every election the State Election Commission shall furnish to the proper county or party officials a separate roster of those handicapped electors registered to vote at the barrier-free polling place, and the county election officials shall ensure that election managers are designated to staff the barrier-free polling place. Such roster shall also contain appropriate precinct and district references for each voter when practical and reasonable.
C. The county board of voter registration and elections shall be authorized to use paper ballots in lieu of voting machines in the Countywide Barrier-Free Voting Precinct in those counties where voting machines are used.
D. When the Countywide Barrier-Free Voting Precinct in the respective counties closes, the votes of the Countywide Barrier-Free Voting Precinct shall be tabulated and reported as a separate precinct when other ballots of the county are counted on election day.
E. The provisions of this section shall only apply to elections conducted by the county board of voter registration and elections or county executive committee of a political party and are in lieu of voting by absentee ballot.
HISTORY: 1982 Act No. 363, eff May 11, 1982; 1992 Act No. 494, Section 1, eff July 1, 1992.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 7 - Polling Precincts And Voting Places › Section 7-7-1000. Pooling precincts in municipal elections.

(A) For purposes of municipal general elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:
(1) Any precinct which contains five hundred or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.
(2) The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed one thousand five hundred.
(3) The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.
(4) The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.
(5) Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal general election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct.
(B) For purposes of municipal primary elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:
(1) Any precinct which contains three thousand or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.
(2) The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed three thousand.
(3) The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.
(4) The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.
(5) Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal primary election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct.
HISTORY: 1998 Act No. 412, Section 8, eff June 9, 1998; 2022 Act No. 207 (S.236), Section 1, eff May 23, 2022.
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 207, Section 1, in the first undesignated paragraph, inserted the (A) designator and substituted "municipal general elections" for "municipal elections", and in (5), substituted "municipal general election" for "municipal election"; and added (B).
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 9 - Party Organization › Section 7-9-20. Qualifications for party membership and voting in primary election.

The qualifications for membership in a certified party and for voting at a party primary election include the following: the applicant for membership, or voter, must be at least eighteen years of age or become so before the succeeding general election, and must be a registered elector and a citizen of the United States and of this State. A person may not vote in a primary unless he is a registered elector. The state convention of any political party, organization, or association in this State may add by party rules to the qualifications for membership in the party, organization, or association and for voting at the primary elections if the qualifications do not conflict with the provisions of this section or with the Constitution and laws of this State or of the United States.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-253; 1952 Code Section 23-253; 1950 (46) 2059; 1970 (56) 1899; 1974 (58) 2866; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 14, eff June 28, 1984; 2010 Act No. 245, Section 3, eff June 2, 2010.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 9 - Party Organization › Section 7-9-70. County conventions.

A county convention must be held during a twelve-month period ending March thirty-first of each general election year during a month determined by the state committee as provided in Section 7-9-100. The county committee shall set the date, time, and location during the month designated by the state committee for the county convention to be held. The date set by the county committee for the county convention must be at least two weeks before the state convention. When a month in a nongeneral election year is chosen for the county convention, it must be held for the purpose of reorganization only. The date, time, and location that the county convention must be reconvened during the general election year to nominate candidates for public office to be filled in the general election must be set by county committee.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-259; 1952 Code Section 23-259; 1950 (46) 2059; 1954 (48) 1447; 1964 (53) 1831; 1968 (55) 2349; 1974 (58) 2866; 1976 Act No. 479 Section 1; 1977 Act No. 133 Section 1; 1979 Act No. 173 Section 1, eff July 25, 1979; 1986 Act No. 327, Section 2, eff February 20, 1986; 2010 Act No. 245, Section 4, eff June 2, 2010; 2021 Act No. 10 (H.3264), Section 1, eff April 12, 2021.
Effect of Amendment
2021 Act No. 10, Section 1, deleted the sixth sentence, which required publication of notices for county conventions for reorganization and reconvened county conventions to nominate candidates.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 9 - Party Organization › Section 7-9-80. County conventions; organization and conduct of business.

Each county convention shall be called to order by the county chairman and shall proceed to elect a temporary president, a temporary secretary and a committee on credentials for the purpose of organizing. When organized, it shall elect a permanent president, a secretary and treasurer. It shall also elect the county chairman, the county vice-chairman and a member of the state committee from the county and as many delegates to the state convention as triple the number of members from the county in the House of Representatives, plus one. But county conventions at their discretion may elect double the number of delegates in which case each delegate shall have one-half vote. The secretary of the convention shall keep a record of the proceedings in the minute book.
All officers except delegates shall be reported to the clerk of court of the county and to the Secretary of State prior to the state convention. The reports shall be public record.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-260; 1952 Code Section 23-260; 1950 (46) 2059; 1964 (53) 1831; 1968 (55) 2349.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 9 - Party Organization › Section 7-9-90. State committee.

The state committee is composed of one member from each county, elected by the county conventions, the state chairman and state vice-chairman, elected by the state convention; and for the Republican and Democratic party state committees, the president of the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women and the president of the South Carolina Federation of Democratic Women ex officio are members of their respective state committees. Those persons named as members of the national executive committee of a national party are ex officio members of the state committee. If the office of state chairman or state vice-chairman becomes vacant, the state committee may fill the vacancy by electing a chairman or vice-chairman to serve until the organization of the next regular state convention. The state committee shall choose its other officers, not necessarily from the membership. The state chairman may vote only in case of a tie. The state committee shall meet at the call of the state chairman or any five members and at a time and place as he may appoint. Vacancies on the state committee, other than in the offices of state chairman and state vice-chairman, and the presidents of the women's federations must be filled by the respective county committees. The members of the state committee shall continue in office for two years from the time of their election, and until their successors are elected. The state committee shall nominate presidential electors and a vacancy in the state ticket of electors or in the national committee of a party must be filled by the state committee by a majority of the whole committee.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-261; 1952 Code Section 23-261; 1950 (46) 2059; 1960 (51) 1612; 1992 Act No. 254, Section 1, eff February 18, 1992.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 9 - Party Organization › Section 7-9-110. Conducting elections or primaries in facilities receiving state funds.

A political party or the State Election Commission may conduct a primary or election, without charge, in any facility that receives state funds for support or operation. The use of the facility, pursuant to the provisions of this section, is subject to the availability of the facility as determined by the facility's governing entity.
HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 81, Section 4, eff June 19, 2007.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-10. Methods of nominating candidates.

(A) Nominations for candidates for the offices to be voted on in a general or special election may be by political party primary, by political party convention, or by petition; however, a person who was defeated as a candidate for nomination to an office in a party primary or party convention must not have his name placed on the ballot for the ensuing general or special election, except that this section does not prevent a defeated candidate from later becoming his party's nominee for that office in that election if the candidate first selected as the party's nominee dies, resigns, is disqualified, or otherwise ceases to become the party's nominee for that office before the election is held.
(B) A candidate must not file more than one statement of intention of candidacy for a single office for the same election.
(C) A candidate must not be nominated by more than one political party for a single office for the same election.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-263; 1952 Code Section 23-263; 1950 (46) 2059; 1982 Act No. 419, Section 5, eff June 8, 1982; 2013 Act No. 61, Section 1, eff June 25, 2013; 2022 Act No. 150 (S.108), Section 2.A, eff January 1, 2023.
Editor's Note
2013 Act No. 61, Section 14, provides as follows:
"SECTION 14. This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
The amendment by 2013 Act No. 61 became effective June 25, 2013, see South Carolina Libertarian Party v. South Carolina State Election Com'n, 407 S.C. 612, 757 S.E.2d 707 (2014).
2022 Act No. 150, Section 45.B, provides as follows:
"[SECTION 45.]B. SECTION 2 shall take effect on January 1, 2023."
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 150, Section 2.A, inserted the (A) designator, substituted "must not have his named placed" for "shall not have his name placed", and added (B) and (C).
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-25. Advisory primaries conducted by political party.

Nothing in this chapter nor any other provision of law may be construed as either requiring or prohibiting a political party in this State from conducting advisory primaries according to the party's own rules and at the party's expense.
HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 253, Section 14, eff February 19, 1992; 2007 Act No. 81, Section 3, eff June 19, 2007; 2014 Act No. 256 (H.4732), Section 2, eff June 6, 2014.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-30. Convention nomination of candidates.

(A) A party may choose to change from nomination of candidates by primary to a method to nominate candidates by convention for all offices including, but not limited to, Governor, United States Senator, United States House of Representatives, Circuit Solicitor, State Senator, and members of the State House of Representatives if:
(1) there is a three-fourths vote of the total membership of the convention to use the convention nomination process; and
(2) a majority of voters in that party's next primary election approve the use of the convention nomination process.
(B) A party may not choose to nominate by party convention for an election cycle in which the filing period for candidates has begun.
(C) A political party nominating candidates by party convention shall nominate the party candidates and make the nominations public not later than the time for certifying candidates to the authority charged by law with preparing ballots for the general or special election.
(D) Nothing in this section requires a political party that has nominated candidates by convention in the previous election cycle to hold a primary in order to continue using the convention method to nominate candidates.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-264; 1952 Code Section 23-264; 1950 (46) 2059; 1964 (53) 1744; 1966 (54) 2093; 1968 (55) 2316; 1972 (57) 2531; 1974 (58) 2124; 1984 Act No. 403, Section 1, eff May 24, 1984; 2013 Act No. 61, Section 3, eff June 25, 2013; 2014 Act No. 196 (S.815), Section 6, eff June 2, 2014; 2019 Act No. 1 (S.2), Section 86, eff January 31, 2019.
Editor's Note
2013 Act No. 61, Section 14, provides as follows:
"SECTION 14. This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
The amendment by 2013 Act No. 61 became effective June 25, 2013, see South Carolina Libertarian Party v. South Carolina State Election Com'n, 407 S.C. 612, 757 S.E.2d 707 (2014).
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 1, Section 86, in (A), deleted "Lieutenant Governor," following "Governor,".
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-40. Names and addresses of candidates for House of Representatives reported to State Election Commission.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a political party in this State shall nominate candidates by party primary election, the person with whom candidates of that party for the House of Representatives file shall report to the State Election Commission the names and addresses of all candidates so filing within twenty-four hours after the close of the filing period for the House of Representatives.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-265.4; 1974 (58) 2400.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-53. Nomination of substitute candidate.

If the executive committee of a political party substitutes a candidate for a general or special election pursuant to Section 7-11-50, it must do so as soon as is reasonably possible. The executive committee must nominate a substitute candidate for an office not more than thirty days from the date the candidacy becomes vacant. If a party fails to name a substitute candidate within thirty days pursuant to Section 7-11-50, that party is prohibited from nominating a candidate for that office.
HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 337, Section 1, eff June 8, 2006.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-55. Substitution of candidates when nominee selected by primary election.

If a party nominee dies, becomes disqualified after his nomination, or resigns his candidacy for a legitimate nonpolitical reason as defined in Section 7-11-50 and was selected through a party primary election, the vacancy must be filled in a special primary election to be conducted as provided in this section. The filing period for this special primary election opens the second Tuesday after the death, disqualification, or approval of the resignation for one week. The special primary election then must be conducted on the second Tuesday immediately following the close of the filing period. A runoff, if necessary, must be held two weeks after the first primary. The nomination must be certified not less than two weeks before the date of the general election. If the nomination is certified two weeks or more before the date of the general election, that office is to be filled at the general election.
If the nomination is certified less than two weeks before the date of the general election, that office must not be filled at the general election but must be filled in a special election to be held on the second Tuesday in the month following the election, provided that the date of the special election to be conducted after the general election may be combined with other necessary elections scheduled to occur within a twenty-eight day period in the manner authorized by Section 7-13-190(D).
The procedures for resigning a candidacy under this section for legitimate nonpolitical reasons are the same as provided in Section 7-11-50.
Where the party nominee was unopposed, each political party registered with the State Election Commission has the privilege of nominating a candidate for the office involved through a special primary election in the same manner and under the same procedures stipulated by this section.
HISTORY: 1991 Act No. 81, Section 2, eff May 27, 1991.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-70. Nomination by petition.

A candidate's nominating petition for any office in this State shall contain the signatures of at least five percent of the qualified registered electors of the geographical area of the office for which he offers as a candidate; provided, that no petition candidate is required to furnish the signatures of more than ten thousand qualified registered electors for any office. The official number of qualified registered electors of the geographical area of any office must be the number of registered electors of such area registered one hundred twenty days prior to the date of the election for which the nomination petition is being submitted.
The petition must be certified to the State Election Commission in the case of national, state, circuit, and multicounty district offices; with the county board of voter registration and elections in the case of countywide or less than countywide offices with the exception of municipal offices; with the clerk of a municipality in case of a municipal office, and the certified petition shall constitute and be kept as a public record.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.16; 1952 Code Section 23-313; 1950 (46) 2059; 1956 (49) 1739; 1961 (52) 548; 1964 (53) 1744; 1966 (54) 2340; 1968 (55) 2316; 1972 (57) 2531; 1974 (58) 2124, 2866; 1984 Act No. 405, Section 2, eff May 24, 1984.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-71. Petitions in election for commissioners of public service districts.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-11-70, petitions to nominate candidates elected in the general election to serve as commissioners of public service districts shall require signatures of not less than two hundred fifty qualified electors of the district concerned or five percent of the total number of electors of the district, whichever is the lesser, if such petitions are otherwise in compliance with this chapter.
HISTORY: 1978 Act No. 597 eff July 18, 1978.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-80. Form of nominating petition.

All nominating petitions for any political office or petition of any political party seeking certification as such in the State of South Carolina shall be standardized as follows:
(1) Shall be on good quality original bond paper sized 8 1/2 '' X 14''.
(2) Shall contain a concise statement of purpose; in the case of nomination of candidates, the name of the candidate, the office for which he offers and the date of the election for such office shall be contained in such petition.
(3) Shall contain in separate columns from left to right the following:
(a) Signature of voter and printed name of voter;
(b) Address of residence where registered; and
(c) Precinct of voter.
(4) No single petition page shall contain the signatures of registered voters from different counties.
(5) All signatures of registered voters shall be numbered consecutively.
(6) Petitions with more than one page must have the pages consecutively numbered upon filing with the appropriate authority.
The State Election Commission may furnish petition forms to the county election officials and to interested persons.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.16:1; 1974 (58) 2866; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 16, eff June 28, 1984.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-85. Verification of petition; bases for rejection of petitioners.

Every signature on a petition requiring five hundred or less signatures must be checked for validity by the respective county board of voter registration and elections against the signatures of the voters on the original applications for registration on file in the board office. When a petition requires more than five hundred signatures, every one of the first five hundred signatures must be checked for validity and at least one out of every ten signatures thereafter beginning with the five hundred and first signature must be checked for validity. If the projected number of valid signatures, using this percentage method for the signatures over five hundred plus the number of valid signatures in the first five hundred, total at least the number of signatures required by law on the petition, it must be certified as a valid petition. No petition, however, may be rejected if the number of signatures over five hundred checked using the percentage method plus the number of valid signatures in the first five hundred does not total at least the number required by law. If insufficient signatures are found using the percentage method in order to certify as a valid petition, the county board of voter registration and elections must check every signature over five hundred separately, or such number over five hundred until the required number of valid signatures is found.
If it is a petition seeking to certify a new political party or if the office for which the petition has been submitted comprises more than one county, and using the percentage method of checking does not result in the required number of valid signatures, the executive director of the commission shall designate which counties must check additional signatures.
No signatures on a petition may be rejected if the address of a voter, registration certificate number of a voter, or the precinct of a voter, as required by Section 7-11-80, is missing or incorrect if the signature is otherwise valid. The signature of a voter may only be rejected if it is illegible and cannot be found in the records of the county board of voter registration and elections is missing from the petition, or is not that of the voter, or if the registration of the voter has been deleted for any of the reasons named in Section 7-3-20(D)(5).
The county board of voter registration and elections shall complete a summary form containing the results of checking any petition and must give the completed form to the requesting authority. The form used for this purpose must be prescribed and provided by the executive director.
HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 263, Section 2, eff January 27, 1984.
Code Commissioner's Note
At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the reference in the third undesignated paragraph to "items (2) or (3) of Subsection (C) of Section 7-3-20" was corrected to read "Section 7-3-20(D)(5)".
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-90. Unopposed candidates.

After the closing of entries if any candidates shall be unopposed, the state committee in the case of state offices and the county committees in the case of county offices shall declare such unopposed candidates as party nominees, and the names of unopposed candidates shall not be placed upon the primary election ballots but shall be certified for the general election ballots.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.76; 1952 Code Section 23-375; 1950 (46) 2059; 1966 (54) 2340.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 11 - Designation And Nomination Of Candidates › Section 7-11-420. Amounts and proration of assessments to be paid by candidates for State Senator in multi-county districts.

In multi-county senatorial districts, the amounts of assessments to be paid by candidates for the office of State Senator at the time and place of filing notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-11-410, shall be fixed by a majority of the county chairmen of the counties in the respective districts and shall be prorated among the county committees of the counties comprising the district in proportion to the number of precincts in each county. Provided, if such chairmen of any district fail to reach agreement within three days after the opening for entries the state executive committee shall fix the fee. Provided, further, that in 1966 only the chairmen shall have seven days in which to reach such agreement.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.75; 1966 (54) 2093, 2340.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-10. Time of general elections for federal, state, and county officers; conduct of general and special elections.

General elections for Federal, State and county officers in this State shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year at such voting places as have been or may be established by law. All general or special elections held pursuant to the Constitution of this State shall be regulated and conducted according to the rules, principles and provisions herein prescribed.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-391; 1952 Code Section 23-302; 1950 (46) 2059; 1966 (54) 2340.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-15. Primaries to be conducted by State Election Commission and county boards of voter registration and elections on second Tuesday in June; filing fees.

(A) This section does not apply to municipal primaries.
(B) Except as provided in subsection (A) or unless otherwise specifically provided for by statute or ordinance, the following primaries must be conducted by the State Election Commission and the county boards of voter registration and elections on the second Tuesday in June of each general election year:
(1) primaries for federal offices, excluding a presidential preference primary for the Office of President of the United States as provided pursuant to Section 7-11-20(B); and
(2) primaries for:
(a) state offices;
(b) offices including more than one county;
(c) countywide and less than countywide offices, specifically including, but not limited to, all school boards and school trustees; and
(d) special purpose district offices, which include, but are not limited to, water, sewer, fire, soil conservation, and other similar district offices.
(C) Filing fees received from candidates filing to run in primary elections may be retained and expended by the State Election Commission to pay for the conduct of primary elections. Any balance in the filing fee accounts or in the primary and general election accounts as of each June thirtieth may be carried forward in these accounts to the succeeding fiscal year and must be expended for the same purposes.
HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 253, Section 16, eff February 19, 1992; 2007 Act No. 81, Section 2, eff June 19, 2007; 2014 Act No. 256 (H.4732), Section 3, eff June 6, 2014.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-20. Time of general election for certain county officers.

There shall be a general election for county supervisors, county superintendents of education, sheriffs, coroners and clerks of the courts of common pleas held in each county at every alternate general election, reckoning from the year 1960, except in those counties in which the term of office of any such officers may be for a period other than four years. In such cases elections to fill such offices shall be held at the general election next preceding the expiration of any such term of office.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-392; 1952 Code Section 23-303; 1942 Code Section 2350; 1932 Code Section 2350; Civ. C. '22 Section 283; Civ. C. '12 Section 280; Civ. C. '02 Section 253; G. S. 160, 642, 701; R. S. 211; 1882 (17) 1125; 1885 (19) 144; 1889 (20) 281; 1966 (54) 2340.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-30. Time of election of probate judges.

The probate judge in every county shall be elected at every alternate general election, reckoning from the year 1958.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-394; 1952 Code Section 23-305; 1942 Code Section 2350; 1932 Code Section 2350; Civ. C. '22 Section 283; Civ. C. '12 Section 280; Civ. C. '02 Section 253; G. S. 160, 642, 701; R. S. 211; 1882 (17) 1125; 1885 (19) 144; 1889 (20) 281; 1966 (54) 2340.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-35. Notice of general, municipal, special, and primary elections.

The authority charged by law with conducting an election must publish two notices of general, municipal, special, and primary elections held in the county in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality, as appropriate. Included in each notice must be a reminder of the last day persons may register to be eligible to vote in the election for which notice is given, notification of the date, time, and location of the hearing on ballots challenged in the election, a list of the precincts involved in the election, the location of the polling places in each of the precincts, and notification that the process of examining the return-addressed envelopes containing absentee ballots may begin at 7:00 a.m. on the second day immediately preceding election day at a place designated in the notice by the authority charged with conducting the election. The first notice must appear not later than sixty days before the election and the second notice must appear not later than two weeks after the first notice.
HISTORY: 1978 Act No. 572, eff July 1, 1978; 1988 Act No. 422, Section 2, eff March 28, 1988; 1990 Act No. 357, Section 1, eff March 19, 1990; 1992 Act No. 253, Section 1, eff February 19, 1992; 1996 Act No. 434, Section 5, eff June 4, 1996; 2020 Act No. 133 (S.635), Section 1.A, eff May 13, 2020; 2020 Act No. 133 (S.635), Section 1.H, eff December 31, 2021; 2022 Act No. 150 (S.108), Section 33, eff May 13, 2022.
Editor's Note
2020 Act No. 133, Section 1.H., provides as follows:
"[1.]H. The amendments contained in subsections A., B., and C. of this SECTION are repealed on December 31, 2021, and the text of these code sections therefore shall revert back to the language as contained in the South Carolina Code of Laws as of January 23, 2020."
Effect of Amendment
2020 Act No. 133, Section 1.A., in the second sentence, substituted "9:00 a.m. on the calendar day immediately preceding election day" for "2:00 p.m. on election day", and in the third sentence, substituted "no later than" for "not later than" in two places.
2022 Act No. 150, Section 33, in the second sentence, substituted "7:00 a.m. on the second day immediately preceding election day" for "2:00 p.m. on election day".
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-45. Acceptance of filings.

In every general election year, the Executive Director of the State Election Commission and the director of each county board of voter registration and elections shall:
(1) accept filings during the regular business hours on the regular business days of the filing period as required by Section 7-11-15;
(2) place an advertisement to appear two weeks before the filing period begins in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least five by seven inches in size that notifies the public of the dates of the filing periods, the offices that may be filed for, the place and street address where filings may be made, and the hours that an authorized person will be present to receive filings.
HISTORY: 1989 Act No. 166, Section 1, eff January 1, 1990; 1996 Act No. 434, Section 6, eff June 4, 1996; 2013 Act No. 61, Section 6, eff June 25, 2013; 2018 Act No. 142 (H.4977), Section 7, eff March 15, 2018.
Editor's Note
2013 Act No. 61, Section 14, provides as follows:
"SECTION 14. This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
The amendment by 2013 Act No. 61 became effective June 25, 2013, see South Carolina Libertarian Party v. South Carolina State Election Com'n, 407 S.C. 612, 757 S.E.2d 707 (2014).
Effect of Amendment
2018 Act No. 142, Section 7, deleted the (A) identifier preceding "In every election year"; in (1), substituted "accept filings during the regular business hours on the regular business days of the filing period" for "establish regular hours of not less than four hours a day during the final seventy-two hours of the filing period in which the director or some person he designates must be present to accept filings"; and made a nonsubstantive change in (2).
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-50. Second and other primaries.

A second primary, when necessary, must be held two weeks after the first and is subject to the rules governing the first primary. At the second primary the two candidates among those who do not withdraw their candidacies and who received more votes in the first primary than any other remaining candidate alone shall run for any one office and if only one candidate remains, he is considered nominated, except that if there are two or more vacancies for any particular office, the number of candidates must be double the number of vacancies to be filled if so many candidates remain. In all second primaries the candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast for a given office must be declared the nominee for the office whether or not he has received a majority of the votes cast for that office, and when there are several candidates for several different offices, then the several candidates receiving the largest number of votes for the several positions are considered as nominated for the offices whether or not they received a majority of the votes cast. Other primaries, if necessary, must be ordered in a similar manner by the county board of voter registration and elections or the State Election Commission, as appropriate.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-397; 1952 Code Section 23-387; 1950 (46) 2059; 1966 (54) 2340; 1968 (55) 2316; 1988 Act No. 364, Section 3, eff March 14, 1988; 1992 Act No. 253, Section 3, eff February 19, 1992.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-60. Hours polls open.

The polls must be opened at seven o'clock a.m. and closed at seven o'clock p.m. the day of election and must be held open during these hours without intermission or adjournment.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-398; 1952 Code Section 23-342; 1950 (46) 2059; 1956 (49) 1775, 1799; 1965 (54) 466; 1966 (54) 2340; 1986 Act No. 342, eff March 7, 1986; 1992 Act No. 253, Section 4, eff February 19, 1992.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-75. Members of local boards of voter registration and elections; political activity prohibited.

No member of a county or municipal board of voter registration and elections may participate in political management or in a political campaign over whose election the member has jurisdiction during the member's term of office. No member may make a contribution to a candidate or knowingly attend a fundraiser held for the benefit of a candidate over whose election the member has jurisdiction. Violation of this section subjects the member to removal by the Governor or appropriate appointive authority.
HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 423, Section 1, eff June 18, 1996; 2000 Act No. 392, Section 1, eff August 1, 2000.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-80. Organization of voter registration and elections; managers and clerks; oaths.

The board members, managers, and clerks at their first meeting, respectively, must proceed to organize as a board. The county board of voter registration and elections must appoint the chairman of the board of managers. The chairman must be a resident and registered elector of the respective county in which he is appointed to work or in an adjoining county. The chairman, in each instance, may administer oaths.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.1; 1952 Code Section 23-307; 1950 (46) 2059; 1961 (52) 48; 1966 (54) 2340; 1990 Act No. 357, Section 3, eff March 19, 1990; 1996 Act No. 434, Section 7, eff June 4, 1996; 2019 Act No. 54 (H.3035), Section 2, eff May 16, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2019 Act No. 54, Section 2, inserted the third sentence, providing that a chairman must be a resident and registered elector of the respective county in which he is appointed to work or in an adjoining county.
2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 7 - Elections › Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections › Section 7-13-100. Managers shall take oath before opening polls.

The managers before opening the polls, shall take and sign the following oath: "We do solemnly swear that we will conduct this election according to law and will allow no person to vote who is not entitled by law to vote in this election, and we will not unlawfully assist any voter to prepare his ballot and will not advise any voter as to how he should vote at this election."
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.3; 1952 Code Section 23-378; 1950 (46) 2059; 1966 (54) 2340.