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TO AMEND SECTIONS 7-9-50 AND 7-9-70 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF THE MEETING OF A PARTY CLUB AND THE CONVENING OF A COUNTY CONVENTION, TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE MAY BE PUBLISHED ON THE OFFICIAL INTERNET WEBSITE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY TO WHICH THE CLUB BELONGS AS WELL AS IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION, AND TO AMEND SECTION 7-13-45(4), RELATING TO FILING FOR CANDIDACY, TO PROVIDE THAT THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN MAY PUBLISH THE NOTICE OF THE FILING PERIOD, OFFICES THAT MAY BE FILED FOR, AND THE PLACE WHERE FILING MAY BE MADE ON THE OFFICIAL INTERNET WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 7-9-50 of the 1976 Code, is amended to read:
"Section 7-9-50. The president or five members may call all special meetings of the club, except for reorganization, provided for in the succeeding paragraph. At least forty-eight hours' public notice of all special meetings must be given in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the club is situated, or on the official internet website maintained by the political party to which the club belongs.
The clubs must meet for reorganization at the usual place of meeting, at the time and on the day as determined by the county committee no later than two weeks prior to the county convention. A notice must be published by the county committee once a week for two consecutive weeks not more than three weeks nor less than two weeks before the meeting date in a newspaper having general circulation in the county, or on the official internet website maintained by the political party to which the club belongs. If an existing club fails to reorganize on the day fixed, the county chairman may fix a day for the club to meet for reorganization by giving two weeks' notice."
SECTION 2. Section 7-9-70 of the 1976 Code, is amended to read:
"Section 7-9-70. County conventions must be held during a twelve-month period ending March thirty-first of every 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; however, the date set by the county committee for the county convention must be at least two weeks prior to 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. Notices, both for the convention to be held for reorganization and for the reconvened convention to nominate candidates, must be published by the county committee, once a week for two consecutive weeks, not more than three nor less than two weeks, before the day in a newspaper having general circulation in the county, or on the official internet website maintained by the political party holding the convention. The convention must be composed of delegates elected from the clubs in the county, one delegate for every twenty-five members and major fraction thereof, based upon the number of votes polled in the first primary of the preceding general election year or based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election therefor from the precinct as determined by the state committee. The same basis must be used in all precincts; or if the last preceding nominations were by convention, the representation must be based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election therefor from the precinct. The list of delegates certified to by the president and secretary of each club shall constitute the temporary roll of the county convention. Where new precincts have been created or where the areas of precincts have been redefined, the party executive committee of the affected counties shall apportion delegates from the clubs representing the precincts."
SECTION 3. Section 7-13-45(4) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(4) 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 which 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. The county chairman may also satisfy the notification requirement provided in this item by publishing the notice on the official internet website maintained by the county election commission."
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.