The bill H. 3310 aims to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws to establish closed primaries for partisan elections. It introduces Section 7-5-115, which stipulates that only registered members of a political party may vote in that party's primary elections or advisory referendums, unless the party has opted to allow independent voters to participate. Additionally, the bill amends existing sections to require voters to declare their political party affiliation when registering and to provide a procedure for changing party affiliation. The State Election Commission is tasked with assisting in maintaining a list of registered voters by party affiliation and ensuring that voters are informed about the new procedures.

Key amendments include changes to Section 7-5-110, which now explicitly states that individuals must be registered as members of a political party to vote in its primaries, and Section 7-5-170, which requires the voter registration application to include political party affiliation. Furthermore, Section 7-9-20 is amended to clarify that to vote in a primary election, a person must be registered as a member of the party conducting the primary. The bill allows for a transitional period until June 1, 2026, during which voters may still participate in primaries without having signed the required affidavit. After this date, all primaries must adhere to the new regulations.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 7-5-115, 7-5-110, 7-5-170, 7-9-20
Latest Version: 7-5-115, 7-5-110, 7-5-170, 7-9-20
12/06/2024: 7-5-115, 7-5-110, 7-5-170, 7-9-20