South Carolina General Assembly
112th Session, 1997-1998

Bill 1069


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                    1069
Ratification Number:            423
Act Number:                     409
Type of Legislation:            General Bill GB
Introducing Body:               Senate
Introduced Date:                19980226
Primary Sponsor:                Holland 
All Sponsors:                   Holland 
Drafted Document Number:        jud9054.dhh
Companion Bill Number:          4646
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19980521
Date of Last Amendment:         19980319
Governor's Action:              S
Date of Governor's Action:      19980608
Subject:                        Electronic voting using Internet
                                for armed forces, overseas citizens;
                                Elections, Veterans' Affairs,
                                Computers

History


Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

------  19980630  Act No. A409
------  19980608  Signed by Governor
------  19980604  Ratified R423
House   19980521  Read third time, enrolled for
                  ratification
House   19980520  Read second time
House   19980514  Debate adjourned until
                  Tuesday, 19980519
House   19980513  Request for debate by Representative             Simrill
                                                                   Kirsh
                                                                   Hinson
                                                                   Moody-
                                                                   Lawrence
                                                                   Meacham
                                                                   Rodgers
                                                                   Young
                                                                   Harrison
House   19980512  Debate adjourned until
                  Wednesday, 19980513
House   19980506  Committee report: Favorable              25 HJ
House   19980325  Introduced, read first time,             25 HJ
                  referred to Committee
Senate  19980324  Read third time, sent to House
Senate  19980319  Read second time
Senate  19980319  Committee amendment adopted
Senate  19980318  Committee report: Favorable with         11 SJ
                  amendment
Senate  19980226  Introduced, read first time,             11 SJ
                  referred to Committee


View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

Previous Printings


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A409, R423, S1069)

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER 15 OF TITLE 7, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ELECTIONS AND ABSENTEE VOTING PRECINCTS, BY ADDING SECTION 7-15-455 SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH, IN COOPERATION WITH THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, A PILOT PROJECT FOR THE PURPOSES OF PERMITTING ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL AND OVERSEAS CITIZENS TO TRANSMIT THEIR VOTES TO THE APPLICABLE ELECTION AUTHORITY OVER AN ELECTRONIC MEDIUM USING THE INTERNET, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO REPORT THE RESULTS OF THE PILOT PROJECT AUTHORIZED IN SECTION 7-15-455 AND RECOMMEND TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY POSSIBLE FUTURE APPLICATIONS WHICH MAY BE UTILIZED FOR VOTING BY ELECTRONIC MEANS USING THE INTERNET; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 7-15-455, AS ADDED BY THIS ACT, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31, 2000.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Pilot project for armed forces personnel and overseas citizens

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

Section 7-15-455. (A) For purposes of this section:

(1) 'Armed forces personnel' means South Carolina residents located outside of this State serving on active duty in the armed services of the United States, in the Reserve or Guard components of the United States armed services having been called to active military duty, or as civilian personnel with the armed services of the United States.

(2) 'Overseas citizen' is as defined in Section 7-15-310(9).

(B) The State Election Commission may establish, in cooperation with the Federal Voting Assistance Program, a pilot project for the purposes of permitting armed forces personnel and overseas citizens to transmit their

votes to the election authority over an electronic medium using the Internet. For purposes of this project, armed forces personnel and overseas citizens are entitled to cast and have counted votes for only those candidates and questions for which they would be eligible to cast an absentee ballot. As is practicable, votes must be cast and counted in conformity with the provisions of Title 7. The State Election Commission shall rely upon procedures established by the United States Department of Defense for security, secrecy, and validation of votes, and is not subject to civil liability or criminal penalty for following these procedures. Votes transmitted to the election authority over an electronic medium using the Internet are subject to a recount or election contest but not on the ground that the vote is invalid or suspect because it was cast using the Internet.

Reporting of results of pilot project; etc.

SECTION 2. The State Election Commission shall report the results of the Pilot Project authorized in Section 7-15-455 of the 1976 Code added by Section 1 of this act and recommend to the General Assembly possible future applications which may be utilized for voting by electronic means using the Internet.

Pilot project provisions repealed December 31, 2000

SECTION 3. Section 7-15-455 is repealed December 31, 2000.

Time effective

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 8th day of June, 1998.