Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2013 Session > Title 7

The South Carolina Legislative Council is offering access to the unannotated South Carolina Code of Laws on the Internet as a service to the public. The unannotated South Carolina Code on the General Assembly's website is now current through the 2013 session. The unannotated South Carolina Code, consisting only of Code text, numbering, and history, may be copied from this website at the reader's expense and effort without need for permission.

The Legislative Council is unable to assist users of this service with legal questions. Also, legislative staff cannot respond to requests for legal advice or the application of the law to specific facts. Therefore, to understand and protect your legal rights, you should consult your own private lawyer regarding all legal questions.

While every effort was made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the unannotated South Carolina Code available on the South Carolina General Assembly's website, the unannotated South Carolina Code is not official, and the state agencies preparing this website and the General Assembly are not responsible for any errors or omissions which may occur in these files. Only the current published volumes of the South Carolina Code of Laws Annotated and any pertinent acts and joint resolutions contain the official version.

Please note that the Legislative Council is not able to respond to individual inquiries regarding research or the features, format, or use of this website. However, you may notify Legislative Printing, Information and Technology Systems at [email protected] regarding any apparent errors or omissions in content of Code sections on this website, in which case LPITS will relay the information to appropriate staff members of the South Carolina Legislative Council for investigation.





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.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-30; 1968 (55) 2316; 1992 Act No. 276, Section 1, eff March 10, 1992; 1996 Act No. 423, Section 2, eff June 18, 1996; 1998 Act No. 293, Section 1, eff April 20, 1998.

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;

(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 U.S.C., Title 42, Section 1973ff, et seq; and

(13) establish and maintain a statewide voter registration database that shall be administered by the commission and made continuously available to each board of elections and to other agencies as authorized by law.

Notice of deletion of elector's name from roster of electors

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-31; 1967 (55) 657; 1968 (55) 2316; 1996 Act No. 466, Section 2, eff August 21, 1996; 2006 Act No. 253, Section 1, eff March 24, 2006; 2012 Act No. 265, Section 4, eff upon preclearance approval or declaratory judgment.

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 for the reasons of conviction or a change in the residence of a qualified voter. 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 his appeal. A copy of the notice must 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 executive director 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.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-32; 1967 (55) 657; 1968 (55) 2316; 1996 Act No. 466, Section 3, eff August 21, 1996; 2012 Act No. 265, Section 5, eff upon preclearance approval or declaratory judgment.

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 this information at no charge.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-33; 1967 (55) 657; 1968 (55) 2316; 1996 Act No. 434, Section 1, eff June 4, 1996; 2012 Act No. 265, Section 6, eff upon preclearance approval or declaratory judgment.

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.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-34; 1967 (55) 657; 1968 (55) 2316; 1984 Act No. 510, Section 1, eff June 28, 1984.

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.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-92; 1952 Code Section 23-92; 1950 (46) 2059; 1967 (55) 657; 1968 (55) 2316; 1984 Act No. 289, eff March 5, 1984.

SECTION 7-3-70. Reports furnished by Department of Motor Vehicles.

(a) The Department of Motor Vehicles must furnish the executive director a monthly report of all persons eighteen years of age or older who have surrendered their driver's license or identification card and obtained a driver's license or identification card in another state. All reports must contain the name of the driver or identification cardholder, social security number, date of birth, South Carolina county where previously a resident, and the state in which the license or identification card was surrendered. The department must provide this information at no charge.

(b) The Department of Motor Vehicles must furnish the executive director a monthly report of all persons eighteen years of age or older who were reported as deceased by Social Security Administration. All reports must contain the name, social security number, date of birth, and date of death. The department must provide this information at no charge.

HISTORY: 2012 Act No. 265, Section 7, eff upon preclearance approval or declaratory judgment.