Title 7, Elections

In case the National Guard of South Carolina is called to active duty, is mobilized or is participated in field training, the State committee shall provide for the voting of all members of the National Guard qualified to vote, whether such members are within the State or elsewher…

No person shall be entitled to vote in more than one party primary election held the same day.

Each chairman and clerk appointed from among the managers of election for the various polling places must be a resident and registered elector of the respective county in which he is appointed to work or in an adjoining county. All managers of election who are not appointed to se…

At the close of the election the managers and clerk shall immediately proceed publicly to open the ballot boxes and count the ballots therein and shall continue such count, without adjournment or interruption, until it is completed. They shall then make and sign such statement of…

If a voter marks more names than there are persons to be elected or nominated to an office or if for any reason it is impossible to determine the voter's choice for any office to be filled, his ballot shall not be counted for such office; but this shall not vitiate the ballot, so…

If ballots shall be found on opening the box, upon which shall appear the name of an office or the name of a person in connection with an office other than that for which the box in which such ballot is found shall be designated and labeled, these ballots shall be counted, if in …

If more ballots shall be found on opening the box or if more ballots, which are tabulated by vote recorder equipment, or if the number of votes tabulated on voting machines in any polling place exceeds the number of voters listed on the poll list at such polling place, the vote t…

When the canvassing and counting of the votes are completed, the chairman of the managers, or one of them to be designated in writing by the managers, shall deliver to the board of voter registration and elections the poll list, the boxes containing the ballots and a written retu…

Within twenty-four hours of the completion of the canvassing and counting of ballots, the persons in charge of each such election in each county shall notify the State Election Commission of the unofficial results of such election in each such county; provided, however, that fail…

When any election official of any political subdivision of this State charged with ordering, providing for, or holding an election has neglected, failed, or refused to order, provide for, or hold the election at the time appointed, or if for any reason the election is declared vo…

(1) It shall be unlawful for a candidate or the spouse, parents, children, brothers or sisters of a candidate for public office to work as a manager or clerk of election at a polling place where such candidate's name appears on the ballot. (2) Any person violating the provisions …

The polling places shall be provided with a table for the managers. The polls shall be provided with a guard rail, so that no one except as herein authorized shall approach nearer than five feet to the booths in which the voters are preparing their ballots. The managers at each v…

(a) The use of an optical scan voting system may be authorized for use in absentee precincts in a county. (b) The county board of voter registration and elections shall provide an optical voting system in such numbers as it considers necessary in good working order and of suffici…

(A) Before a decision is made to procure a statewide voting system, the State Election Commission must provide a public comment period of not less than thirty days. The input must be considered in the procurement of a statewide voting system. (B) Before any kind of optical scan v…

A vote recorder or optical scan voting device must not be adopted or used unless it: (a) provides facilities for voting for the candidates as may be nominated and upon the questions as may be submitted; (b) permits each elector, at other than primaries, to vote a straight party o…

The governing body of any county which adopts vote recorders in the manner provided for by this article shall, upon the purchase thereof, provide for payment therefor by the county.

(a) The ballot labels shall be printed in black ink, upon clear, white material, of such size and arrangement as will suit the construction of the vote recorder, and in plain, clear type so as to be easily readable by persons with normal vision. (b) The arrangement of offices, na…

Ballot cards shall be of suitable design, size and stock, as prescribed by the State Election Commission, to permit processing by a tabulating machine. A serially-numbered stub and strip shall be attached to each ballot card in a manner and form similar to that prescribed by law …

(A) Ballot cards used in conjunction with an optical scanning device must include an instruction to vote both sides of the ballot card. This instruction must appear conspicuously at the top and at the bottom of the front side of the ballot card and must be printed in bold-faced t…

Electors shall be permitted to cast write-in votes. The design of the ballot card shall permit the managers in counting the write-in votes to determine readily whether an elector has cast any write-in vote not authorized by law. The State Election Commission in specifying the for…

(a) The election officials of each county shall cause the proper ballot labels to be placed on each vote recorder which is to be used in any election within such county and shall cause each vote recorder to be placed in proper order for voting. (b) The election officials of each …

Managers of election are clothed with such police powers as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. The managers shall possess full authority to maintain good order at the polls and to enforce obedience to their lawful commands during an election and during …

(a) The county election officials shall deliver the proper vote recorder or vote recorders, properly furnished with ballot labels, to the polling places at least one hour before the time set for opening the polls at each election, and shall cause each vote recorder to be set up i…

Immediately following the closing of the polls, the manager shall: (a) Count the number of electors who voted, as shown in the poll list. (b) Count the unused ballots without removing stubs. (c) Count the soiled and defaced ballots. (d) Insert the totals of (a), (b) and (c) of th…

Poll watchers shall be allowed to remain in the polling place after the polls close and may observe the processing of the ballots and the sealing of the containers.

In counties where marking devices and automatic tabulating equipment have been adopted, the county board of voter registration and elections shall establish one or more counting stations to receive voted ballots and other precinct election supplies after the polling precincts are…

Witnesses shall not be allowed in the polling place but shall file their certificates of appointment at the proper counting station after the polls close and may observe all functions there.

During the thirty days next preceding a general election or during the ten days next preceding a special election, the county election officials shall place on public exhibition, in such public places and at such times as they may deem most suitable for the information and instru…

If a method of election for any candidate or office or of voting on any question is prescribed by law in which the use of vote recorders is not possible or practicable, or in case at any election the number of candidates seeking nomination or nominated for any office renders the …

If any vote recorder being used in any election shall become out of order during such election, it shall be repaired, if possible, or another vote recorder substituted by the custodian or county election officials as promptly as possible, for which purpose the governing body of t…

The county election officials shall designate a person who shall have the custody of the vote recorders of the county when they are not in use at an election and shall provide for his compensation and for the safe storage and care of the vote recorders. All vote recorders when no…

The State Election Commission shall adopt and promulgate such regulations and instructions and design such forms as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this article. A sufficient number of such regulations, instructions and forms shall be distributed to each county…

(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 regist…

Any person who, when summoned or called upon by peace officers shall fail or refuse to assist him in maintaining the peace and good order at the polls shall be fined in a sum not to exceed one hundred dollars or imprisoned not to exceed thirty days.

Any person who prepares or operates the tabulating devices in any election or preparatory thereto shall take an oath as a custodian and file in accordance with law.

No sheriff, deputy sheriff, policeman or other officers shall be allowed to come within the polling place except to vote unless summoned into it by a majority of the managers. On failure of any sheriff, deputy sheriff, policeman or other officer to comply with the provisions of t…

The Board of State Canvassers shall, ex officio, constitute the State Board of Voting Machine Commissioners.

(A) Before any kind of voting system, including an electronic voting system, is used at an election, it must be approved by the State Election Commission, which shall examine the voting system and make and file in the commission's office a report, attested to by the signature of …

(A) Any kind or type of voting machine may be approved by the State Board of Voting Machine Commissioners which is so constructed as to fulfill the following requirements. It shall: (1) provide facilities for voting for all candidates of as many political parties or organizations…

The governing body of any county, city or town may provide for the experimental use at an election in one or more districts or precincts of a machine which it might legally adopt without a formal adoption thereof, and its use at such election shall be as valid for all purposes as…

(A) As used in this section, "voting system" means: (1) the total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment, including the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment that is used to: (a) define ballots…

In any county, city or town in which voting machines are to be used, the board of voter registration and elections or other electoral board may designate suitable and adequate times and places for the exhibition and demonstration of a voting machine containing sample ballots, sho…

The governing body of any county or municipality providing voting machines at polling places for use at elections shall provide for each polling place at least one voting machine for each two hundred fifty registered voters or portion thereof or as near thereto as may be practica…

For the purpose of placing ballots in the frames of a machine, putting it in order and setting, testing, adjusting and delivering the machine, the board of voter registration and elections or other electoral board may employ one or more competent persons, to be known as the custo…

If all of the managers fail to attend at the same time and place appointed for holding the poll, or shall refuse or fail to act, or if no manager has been appointed for the poll, it is lawful for the voters present at the precinct voting place on that day to appoint from among th…

Not more than thirty days before each primary or general election, the board of voter registration and elections or other electoral board must instruct the managers and clerks appointed to serve in the election in the use of the machine and their duties in connection therewith; a…