The "Gold Standard Elections Act" seeks to enhance the integrity and security of South Carolina's electoral process by amending various sections of the South Carolina Code of Laws. Key provisions include the requirement for the State Election Commission's executive director to maintain separate lists for active, inactive, and archived voter registrations, and to utilize U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' SAVE services to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from voter rolls. The bill also mandates a ten-year voter registration period, the issuance of voter identification cards, and the exclusive use of paper poll books at voting locations. Additionally, it establishes new requirements for precinct management, absentee voting, and ballot counting processes, emphasizing the necessity for hand-marked paper ballots and public access to ballot counting.

Further amendments expand absentee voting eligibility to include individuals with employment obligations, caregivers, and those confined to jails, while introducing stricter regulations on absentee ballot requests. The bill limits individuals to requesting applications for no more than five electors per election and stipulates that absentee ballots must remain sealed until polls close. It also nullifies the absentee vote of any in-person voter who submits an absentee ballot. Moreover, the act emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in election processes, designates General Election Day as a legal holiday, and introduces penalties for election officials who fail to comply with new precinct population limits. Overall, the "Gold Standard Elections Act" aims to implement rigorous standards and procedures to ensure fair and secure elections in South Carolina.

Statutes affected:
04/03/2025: 7-3-20, 7-5-160, 7-5-200, 7-7-715, 7-13-72, 7-13-700, 7-13-730, 7-13-870, 7-13-880, 7-13-1110, 7-13-1160, 7-15-320, 7-15-330, 7-15-420, 7-19-130, 53-5-10
Latest Version: 7-3-20, 7-5-160, 7-5-200, 7-7-715, 7-13-72, 7-13-700, 7-13-730, 7-13-870, 7-13-880, 7-13-1110, 7-13-1160, 7-15-320, 7-15-330, 7-15-420, 7-19-130, 53-5-10