The bill H. 4543 proposes an amendment to the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 7-13-65, which allows the State Election Commission or county boards of voter registration and elections to extend voting hours at polling locations that experience delays in opening or interruptions in voting. Specifically, if a polling place is delayed for fifteen minutes or more, the commission can extend the closing time by an equal number of minutes, up to a maximum of 120 minutes. The commission must be available to approve such extensions and requires reports from county boards detailing the delays, including an affidavit from the board's director.

Additionally, the bill mandates that decisions regarding extended voting hours, along with the reasons for such decisions, be published on the commission's website and maintained for at least eight years. County boards are also required to notify voters of any extensions through various media. For non-statewide elections, the county boards can determine extensions under the commission's supervision. Importantly, voters who cast their ballots after the standard closing times due to these extensions will only be allowed to vote using provisional ballots, which must be counted separately unless the order is reversed before the county canvass.

Statutes affected:
05/08/2025: 7-13-65
Latest Version: 7-13-65