(A207, R235, S236)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 7-7-1000, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO POOLING PRECINCTS IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT FOR PURPOSES OF MUNICIPAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS, ANY PRECINCT CONTAINING THREE THOUSAND OR MORE VOTERS SHALL HAVE ITS OWN POLLING PLACE, THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE MUNICIPAL POOLED PRECINCTS MAY NOT EXCEED THREE THOUSAND, AND THAT POOLED MUNICIPAL POLLING PLACES MUST NOT BE MORE THAN THREE MILES FROM THE NEAREST PART OF ANY POOLED PRECINCT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Pooling precincts in municipal elections

SECTION     1.     Section 7-7-1000 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 7-7-1000.     (A)     For purposes of municipal general elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:

(1)     Any precinct which contains five hundred or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.

(2)     The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed one thousand five hundred.

(3)     The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.

(4)     The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.

(5)     Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal general election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct.

(B)     For purposes of municipal primary elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:

(1)     Any precinct which contains three thousand or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.

(2)     The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed three thousand.

(3)     The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.

(4)     The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.

(5)     Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal primary election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct."

Time effective

SECTION     2.     This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 18th day of May, 2022.

Approved the 23rd day of May, 2022.

This web page was last updated on June 14, 2022 at 2:04 PM