The proposed bill, H. 3526, seeks to amend several sections of Article V of the South Carolina Constitution regarding the appointment and election of judges. Specifically, it aims to change the process for selecting Supreme Court justices, Court of Appeals judges, and Circuit Court judges from being elected by the General Assembly to being appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the General Assembly. The bill also proposes to amend the provisions related to filling vacancies in these judgeships, allowing the Governor to make appointments regardless of the length of the unexpired term. Additionally, it seeks to repeal the requirement for the General Assembly to establish a Judicial Merit Screening Commission for reviewing judicial candidates.

The amendments will be presented to voters in the next general election, allowing them to decide whether to support the changes. The bill includes specific language for ballots that will ask voters if they approve of the proposed amendments to the Constitution regarding the appointment of judges and the repeal of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission. If passed, these changes would significantly alter the judicial selection process in South Carolina, shifting the power from legislative elections to gubernatorial appointments.