The "South Carolina Voter Integrity Party Primaries Act" aims to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws to establish closed primaries for partisan elections. Under the new provisions, starting January 1, 2027, only voters registered as members of a political party will be allowed to participate in that party's primary elections or advisory referendums. The bill also mandates that voters must indicate their political party affiliation when registering to vote, and the State Election Commission is tasked with maintaining a list of registered voters by party affiliation. Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for voters to change their party affiliation and requires that voters affirm their party membership at the polls.

Key amendments include the addition of Section 7-5-115, which specifies the requirements for voting in partisan primaries, and modifications to existing sections (7-5-110, 7-5-170, and 7-9-20) to align with the new regulations. Notably, the bill allows for independent voters to participate in a party's primary only if the party has opted to open its primaries to them. The act will take effect upon the Governor's approval, with a transitional provision allowing voters to register by party at primaries held before the January 2027 deadline.

Statutes affected:
03/11/2026: 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