Current Status Bill Number:461 Ratification Number:287 Act Number:454 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19970304 Primary Sponsor:Mescher All Sponsors:Mescher and Rose Drafted Document Number:res1319.wcm Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19980310 Date of Last Amendment:19980310 Governor's Action:U Became law without signature of Governor Date of Governor's Action:19980408 Subject:Berkeley County Elections and Voter Registration Board created
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________
------ 19980910 Act No. A454
------ 19980408 Unsigned, became law without
signature of Governor
------ 19980401 Ratified R287
Senate 19980310 Ordered enrolled for ratification
House 19980310 Free Conference Committee Report 99 HFCC
adopted
House 19980310 Free Conference Powers granted, 99 HFCC Dantzler
appointed Reps. to Committee of Law
Free Conference Hinson
Senate 19980303 Free Conference Committee Report 89 SFCC
adopted
Senate 19980303 Free Conference Powers granted, 89 SFCC Mescher
appointed Senators to Committee Branton
of Free Conference Grooms
Senate 19980218 Appointed Senators to Committee 88 SCC Branton
of Conference, replacing former Grooms
members Williams and Rose
Senate 19970403 Conference powers granted, 88 SCC Mescher
appointed Senators to Committee of Williams
Conference Rose
House 19970402 Conference powers granted, 98 HCC Dantzler
appointed Reps. to Committee of Law
Conference Hinson
House 19970402 Insists upon amendment
Senate 19970401 Non-concurrence in House amendment
House 19970326 Read third time, returned to Senate
with amendment
House 19970325 Amended, read second time
House 19970325 Berkeley Delegation report: 97 HLD
Favorable with amendment
House 19970312 Introduced, read first time, 97 HLD
referred to Berkeley Delegation
Senate 19970307 Read third time, sent to House
Senate 19970306 Read second time, unanimous
consent for third reading on
Friday, 19970307
Senate 19970304 Introduced, read first time,
placed on local and uncontested
Calendar without reference
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
(A454, R287, S461)
AN ACT TO CREATE THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION OF BERKELEY COUNTY, ABOLISH THE BERKELEY COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION, AND DEVOLVE THEIR POWERS AND DUTIES UPON THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Berkeley County Board of Elections and Voter Registration established
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(A) Effective March 15, 1998, there is established the Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Berkeley County to be composed of nine members appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of a majority of the senators representing the county and a majority of the members of the House of Representatives representing 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. The board shall employ a director, determine his or her compensation, and determine the number and compensation of other staff positions. These salaries must be consistent with the compensation schedules established by the county for similar positions. The director is responsible for hiring and management of the staff positions established by the board that report to the director. Staff positions are subject to the personnel system policies and procedures by which all county employees are regulated, except that the director shall serve at the pleasure of the board.
(B) The Governor shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the appointments made under subsection (A) of this section.
(C) The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Berkeley County shall notify the State Election Commission in writing of the name of the person elected as chairman of the board under subsection (A) of this section.
(D) A member who misses three consecutive meetings of the board is considered to have resigned his office and a vacancy therein shall exist which must be filled in the manner provided in subsection (A) of this section.
(E) Except as otherwise specifically provided in subsections (A), (B), (C), and (D) 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 Berkeley County, mutatis mutandis.
Berkeley County Board of Voter Registration abolished
SECTION 2. (A) The Berkeley 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 Berkeley County as established under Section 1 of this act.
(B) The Berkeley 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 Berkeley County as established under Section 1 of this act.
Terms of office
SECTION 3. (A) The terms of the members of the Berkeley 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 Berkeley 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 Berkeley County Board of Voter Registration or the Berkeley 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.
Time effective
SECTION 4. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this act, this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 04/08/98.