Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2007 Session > Title 7

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Title 7 - Elections

CHAPTER 3.

STATE ELECTION COMMISSION; CENTRAL REGISTRATION SYSTEM

SECTION 7-3-10. State Election Commission created; appointment; term; composition; vacancies; chairman; meetings; powers and duties.

(a) There is hereby created the State Election Commission composed of five members, at least one of whom shall be a member of the majority political party represented in the General Assembly and at least one of whom shall be a member of the largest minority political party represented in the General Assembly, to be appointed by the Governor to serve terms of four years and until their successors have been elected and qualify, except of those first appointed three shall serve for terms of two years. Any vacancy on the Commission shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment.

(b) The Governor shall appoint one of the members to serve as chairman for a term of two years and until his successor has been appointed and qualifies. The Commission shall select such other officers from among its members as it may deem necessary.

(c) The commission shall meet at its offices in Columbia at least once each month or at such times as considered necessary by the commission. However, the commission may change the location of the meeting if the change is more convenient for the commission or any parties scheduled to appear before the commission.

(d) The Commission shall have the powers and duties as enumerated in this title.

(e) No member of the commission may participate in political management or in a political campaign during the member's term of office. No member of the commission may make a contribution to a candidate or knowingly attend a fundraiser held for the benefit of a candidate. Violation of this subsection subjects the commissioner to removal by the Governor.

SECTION 7-3-20. Executive director of State Election Commission.

(A) The State Election Commission shall elect an executive director who shall be directly responsible to the commission and who shall serve at the pleasure of the commission. The executive director shall be the chief administrative officer for the State Election Commission.

(B) The executive director shall receive such compensation and employ such staff, subject to the approval of the State Election Commission, as may be provided by law.

(C) The executive director shall:

(1) maintain a complete master file of all qualified electors by county and by precincts;

(2) delete the name of any elector:

(a) who is deceased;

(b) who is no longer qualified to vote in the precinct where currently registered;

(c) who has been convicted of a disqualifying crime;

(d) who is otherwise no longer qualified to vote as may be provided by law; or

(e) who requests in writing that his name be removed;

(3) enter names on the master file as they are reported by the county registration boards;

(4) furnish each county registration board with a master list of all registered voters in the county, together with a copy of all registered voters in each precinct of the county, at least ten days prior to each election. The precinct copies shall be used as the official list of voters;

(5) maintain all information furnished his office relating to the inclusion or deletion of names from the master file for four years;

(6) purchase, lease, or contract for the use of such equipment as may be necessary to properly execute the duties of his office, subject to the approval of the State Election Commission;

(7) secure from the United States courts and federal and state agencies available information as to persons convicted of disqualifying crimes;

(8) obtain information from any other source which may assist him in carrying out the purposes of this section;

(9) perform such other duties relating to elections as may be assigned him by the State Election Commission;

(10) furnish at reasonable price any precinct lists to a qualified elector requesting them;

(11) serve as the chief state election official responsible for implementing and coordinating the state's responsibilities under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; and

(12) serve as the chief state election official responsible for implementing and enforcing the state's responsibilities under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), as set forth in the United States Code, Title 42, Section 1973ff, et seq.

SECTION 7-3-30. Notice of deletion of elector's name from roster of electors; appeal by elector; restoration of name.

(a) The executive director shall notify by mail each elector at the address last filed in the office, whose name has been deleted. The notice shall state the reason for the deletion and inform the elector of his right to appeal to the county board of registration and the time in which to perfect such appeal. A copy of such notice shall be forwarded to the appropriate county board of registration.

(b) Each elector whose name has been deleted has twenty days from the date the notice is mailed to appeal. The appeal must be to the county board of registration from whose master file the deletion has been made. If the board determines that the elector's name should not have been deleted, it shall instruct the central registration office to restore his name to the registration books; however, if the deletion is for conviction, the appeal must be to the Executive Director of the State Election Commission.

SECTION 7-3-40. Reports to be furnished by Bureau of Vital Statistics.

The Bureau of Vital Statistics must furnish the executive director a monthly report of all persons eighteen years of age or older who have died in the State since making the previous report. All reports must contain the name of the deceased, county of residence, his social security or other identification number, and his date and place of birth. The bureau must provide that this information be furnished to it by each county.

SECTION 7-3-50. Information to be furnished by county boards of registration.

Each county board of registration must furnish the executive director information as may be requested by him concerning each registered elector by the fifteenth day of each month and within five days after closing of the books prior to an election.

SECTION 7-3-60. Clerks and magistrates shall report persons convicted of certain offenses.

The clerks of the courts of common pleas and general sessions and every magistrate in the State must, annually on or before June first, make out under their respective hands and seals and report to the executive director a complete list as shown by the records of their respective offices for the preceding calendar year of all persons convicted in that year of felonies or crimes against the election laws, together with the social security or identification numbers of these persons and the month of conviction. Where there is no person to be reported, the report shall so state. Any clerk of the court or magistrate who fails or neglects to make any report required by this section must forfeit and pay to the county in which he holds office the sum of fifty dollars for each failure or neglect to make the report.