South Carolina General Assembly
112th Session, 1997-1998

Bill 327


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       327
Type of Legislation:               General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19970205
Primary Sponsor:                   Rose
All Sponsors:                      Rose, Mescher and McConnell
                                   
Drafted Document Number:           res1203.mtr
Companion Bill Number:             3643
Residing Body:                     House
Current Committee:                 Dorchester Delegation 97
                                   HLD
Date of Last Amendment:            19970304
Subject:                           Dorchester County Registration
                                   and Elections Commission
                                   created



History


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

House   19970306  Introduced, read first time,             97 HLD
                  referred to Dorchester Delegation
Senate  19970305  Read third time, sent to House
Senate  19970304  Amended, read second time,
                  unanimous consent for third reading
                  on Wednesday, 19970305
Senate  19970205  Introduced, read first time,
                  placed on local and uncontested
                  Calendar without reference

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


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

AMENDED

March 4, 1997

S. 327

Introduced by Senators Rose, Mescher and McConnell

L. Printed 3/4/97--S.

Read the first time February 5, 1997.

A BILL

TO CREATE A REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS COMMISSION FOR DORCHESTER COUNTY, ABOLISH THE COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION AND THE REGISTRATION BOARD OF DORCHESTER COUNTY AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THE CREATED COMMISSION.

Amend Title To Conform

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

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(A) Effective March 15, 1998, there is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County to be composed of nine members appointed to office by the Governor; five of the members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators representing the county and the remaining four members shall be appointed upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators and a majority of the House members from the county. The term of office for the members of the board is two years commencing on the fifteenth day of March in each even-numbered year. In case of a vacancy from any cause on the board, the vacancy must be filled in the same manner of original appointment, as provided in this section, for the unexpired term. The members of the board by majority vote shall elect the board's chairman, and the chairman shall serve a term of two years and may be reelected to that office for any number of successive terms without limitation. The board may choose to elect a vice chair, a secretary, and other officers as the board deems appropriate.

(B) The Governor shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the appointments made under (A) of this section.

(C) The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the name of the person elected as chairman of the board under (A) of this section.

(D) Except as otherwise specifically provided in (A), (B), and (C) of this section, the provisions of law contained in Title 7 of the 1976 Code of Laws relating to county boards of voter registration and county election commissions apply to the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County, mutatis mutandis.

SECTION 2. (A) The Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration is abolished effective March 15, 1998, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County as established under Section 1 of this act.

(B) The Dorchester County Election Commission is abolished effective March 15, 1998, and its functions, duties, and powers are devolved upon the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Dorchester County as established under Section 1 of this act.

SECTION 3. (A) The terms of the members of the Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon the abolishment of that board as provided under subsection (A) of Section 2 of this act.

(B) The terms of the members of the Dorchester County Election Commission, regardless of when these members were appointed to office or when their current terms would otherwise have expired, expire for all purposes upon abolishment of that commission as provided under subsection (B) of Section 2 of this act.

(C) Notwithstanding subsections (A) and (B) of this section or any other provision of this act, no person serving as a member of the Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration or the Dorchester County Election Commission shall be removed from office, nor shall that board and that commission be abolished, until this act has been given final approval by the United States Department of Justice.

SECTION 4. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this act, this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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