The "Election Official Protection Act" aims to enhance the safety and integrity of election officials in South Carolina by establishing specific offenses related to interference and intimidation of these officials. The bill outlines unlawful actions such as threatening, coercing, or physically obstructing election officials while they perform their duties. It also prohibits unauthorized access to or tampering with election-related systems and mandates that personal information about election officials be protected from public dissemination if it poses a threat to their safety. The Attorney General or an election official is authorized to bring civil actions to prevent violations of this act.

Additionally, the bill includes provisions for penalties, stating that violations are classified as misdemeanors, with potential imprisonment of up to three years or fines up to $5,000. It allows for civil actions to recover damages and imposes civil penalties for violations. Notably, the bill repeals Section 7-13-1920, which previously addressed tampering with voting machines, thereby consolidating the legal framework for protecting election officials and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.

Statutes affected:
12/05/2024: 7-13-1920
Latest Version: 7-13-1920