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H. 4409
STATUS INFORMATION
Joint Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Herbkersman, Chalk, Littlejohn and M.A. Pitts
Document Path: l:\council\bills\dka\3423dw08.doc
Introduced in the House on January 8, 2008
Currently residing in the House Committee on Judiciary
Summary: State Election Commission
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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1/8/2008 House Introduced and read first time HJ-63
1/8/2008 House Referred to Committee on Judiciary HJ-63
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A PILOT PROGRAM IN WHICH THE INSTANT RUNOFF METHOD OF VOTING WOULD BE USED IN MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY ELECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) As used in this section:
(1) 'Commission' means the State Election Commission.
(2) 'Instant runoff voting' means a system in which a voter ranks up to three of the candidates by order of preference, first, second, or third. If the candidate with the most first-choice votes receives the threshold of victory of the first-choice votes, that candidate wins. If no candidate receives the threshold of victory of first-choice votes, the two candidates with the greatest number of first-choice votes advance to a second round of counting. In this round, each ballot counts as a vote for whichever of the two final candidates is ranked highest by the voter. The candidate with the most votes in the second round wins the election.
(B) The commission shall select local jurisdictions in which to conduct a pilot program during the 2008 elections for local offices using instant runoff voting. The commission shall select:
(1) up to ten cities for the 2008 elections; and
(2) up to ten counties for the 2008 elections.
(C) In selecting those local jurisdictions, the commission shall seek diversity of population size, regional location, and demographic composition. The pilot must be conducted only with the concurrence of the local entity that conducts the election for the local jurisdiction. If a city is selected that has voters in more than one county, the concurrence of all the local entities that conduct the elections is required. The pilot program consists of using instant runoff voting as the method for determining the winner or winners of a partisan primary or a nonpartisan election that normally uses nonpartisan election and runoff or nonpartisan primary and election. Instant runoff voting also may be used to determine results in an election where nonpartisan plurality elections are used normally, but only if the governing board of the local jurisdiction concurs.
(D) The threshold of victory of first-choice votes for a partisan primary is forty percent plus one vote. The threshold of victory for a nonpartisan election and runoff or nonpartisan primary and election must be a majority of the vote. The commission determines the threshold of victory in a contest that normally uses nonpartisan plurality, with the concurrence of the county board of elections and the local governing board.
(E) If more than one seat is to be filled in the same race, the voter votes the same way as if one seat were to be filled. The counting is the same as when one seat is to be filled, with one or two rounds as needed, except that counting is done separately for each seat to be filled. The first counting results in the first winner. Then the second count proceeds without the name of the first winner. This process results in the second winner. For each additional seat to be filled, an additional count is done without the names of the candidates who have already won.
(F) The commission may not use instant runoff voting in a primary or election for an office unless the entire electorate for the office uses the same method."
SECTION 2. The State Election Commission shall monitor closely the pilot program established in Section 1 and report its findings and recommendations to the 2009 General Assembly.
SECTION 3. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 3:44 P.M.