The bill H. 3310 aims to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws to establish closed primaries for partisan elections. It introduces a new 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 maintaining a list of voters by party affiliation and assisting in the registration process.

Furthermore, the bill outlines specific requirements for voter registration, including the necessity of stating political party affiliation on the registration form and the oath taken by applicants. It also allows voters to register by party at partisan primary elections conducted before June 1, 2026, and mandates that county boards of voter registration inform voters about the new procedures. Notably, the bill includes a provision that permits voting in primaries conducted before June 1, 2026, even if the new affidavit requirement is not met, but 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