The bill H. 5183 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 voters registered as members of a political party may participate in that party's primary elections or advisory referendums, unless the party allows 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 registered voters by party affiliation and assisting in the registration process.

Key amendments include changes to sections 7-5-110, 7-5-170, and 7-9-20, which reinforce the requirement for voters to be registered with a political party to vote in its primaries. The bill also mandates that county boards of voter registration inform voters about these new procedures before the implementation date of January 1, 2027. Until that date, voters can still participate in primaries by signing an affidavit affirming their party affiliation. The act will take effect upon the Governor's approval.

Statutes affected:
02/12/2026: 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