South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 5135


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


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

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 5-15-64 SO AS TO ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES TO UTILIZE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

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

SECTION    1.    Chapter 15, Title 5 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 5-15-64.    (A)    As used in this section, 'ranked-choice voting' means a method of casting and tabulating votes in which:

        (1)    voters rank candidates for an office in order of preference;

        (2)    tabulation proceeds in rounds until either one or more candidates are elected or the last-place candidate is defeated;

        (3)    in each successive round, votes cast in favor of defeated candidates are transferred to voters' next highest-ranked preference; and

        (4)    tabulation ends when the number of candidates elected equals the number of offices to be filled.

    (B)    A municipality may by ordinance elect to utilize ranked-choice voting pursuant to this section in conjunction with the municipality's adopted methods of nominating candidates and determining election results pursuant to Sections 5-15-60, 5-15-61, 5-15-62, and 5-15-63. The provisions of this section are controlling to the extent of any conflict with the provisions of those sections.

    (C)    The State Election Commission shall adopt rules and regulations for the proper and efficient administration of ranked-choice voting pursuant to this section."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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