HELP SOUTH CAROLINA VOTE

A campaign of the SC Progressive Network, the League of Women Voters and the SC NAACP

• Fewer than 36% of South Carolinians voted in the 2002 elections.
• 50% voted in the 2004 presidential election.
• South Carolina ranks 40th in the nation for our percentage of registered voters (65%).
• The US trails 138 other countries in voter participation.
• Many people do not get interested in candidates and elections until the weeks leading up to election day, which is after the 30 day cutofffor registering in South Carolina. The 30-day rule has been in effect in South Carolina for at least 50 years - before the invention of computers.
• The citizens for whom the registration cutoff acts a barrier are disproportionately people of color, youth, rural residents, the disabled and the poor.
• South Carolina is one of the few state with internet access to the state voter registration list.

Primary 2008 Sponsors: Rep. David Mack, Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter, Sen. Phil Leventis

Early Voting Centers (S 247 - H 3683) establishes early voting centers
This legislation allows county election boards to set up Early Voting Centers. Counties will decide the location and time of operation of the centers. Last session the bill spelled out time and place; this bill leaves these decisions up to the counties. Recreation centers, libraries and high schools are some of the county facilities that have been mentioned for Early Voting Centers. The Department of Education supports the bill. Lexington County already has a plan and the ability to set up Early Voting Centers in recreation centers across the county, but they lack the authority. Currently, there are 17 reasons allowed in order to vote absentee. This bill would allow “no excuse” early voting. Sen. Ford has a separate bill (S 59) that would do away with excuses for early absentee voting.

High school poll workers (S 253 - H 3681)
To encourage young people to get involved in the democratic process, this legislation would allow more 16- and 17-year-olds to be poll workers, under the supervision of an adult poll manager. Social studies students could get class credit for helping run an Early Voting Center at their school or local library. The Department of Education supports the bill.

Provisional Ballots Count County-wide (S 255 - H 3685)
Currently, if a voter’s name isn’t on the list of voters at the precinct, the voter may cast a provisional ballot that will only be counted if the voter is in the right precinct, even if they are registered. This legislation would allow a provisional ballot to count if the voter is in the right county. This would make votes count for all but the most local races, even if the voter is in the wrong precinct by providing a county "short ballot."

Elections Study Commission (S 248 - H 3684)
An Elections Study Commission will be established to "investigate barriers to registration and voting, error rates and voting machine reliability, review state expenditures and federal grants related to voting, and propose ways to make the electoral system more efficient, accurate, verifiable and accessible. The Commission shall make a report to the Governor and the General Assembly within 90 days of each general election containing recommendations to improve citizens informed participation in the electoral process."

"The governor shall appoint a 13-member commission, two from each congressional district and one at-large, with consideration to race and gender diversity. The appointments shall be made from nominations submitted by nonpartisan voting rights organizations, as recognized by the Secretary of State. The commission shall chose its chair from among its members."

SC Universal Registration Act (S 254 - H 3682)
"Whereas, voter registration laws in South Carolina have been historically used to disenfranchise citizens, it is the intent of the State of South Carolina that all citizens of voting age, not otherwise prohibited by law, be guaranteed the right to vote."

The state Department of Education shall ensure that all 17-year-old high school students have the opportunity to register to vote. All students, through their social studies, civics classes, in a manner decided by the local school board, shall have the opportunity to discuss the importance of registering to vote and voting. The student will receive their voter registration cards before the first election in which they will be 18 years old. There is a provision to allow students to opt out for religious or philosophical reasons (Jehovah’s Witnesses, for instance, don’t believe in voting).

The Department of Corrections, the Department of Pardons, Probation and Parole, Solicitors and Clerks of Court, shall insure that upon the completion of a prison sentence, citizens who are not otherwise ineligible to vote receive a voter registration form with a letter explaining that their voting rights have been restored and that they are eligible to register and vote.

Repeal 30-day Registration Ban (S 251 - H 3680)
Voter registration books have closed 30 days before elections for generations in South Carolina. Many citizens are prohibited from voting because they didn’t register 30 days before an election. Some moved and didn’t change their address, and some recently moved into the state. Others don’t begin paying attention to the elections until they are weeks away.

Given today’s technology, there is no reason to impose the 30-day ban on registration. Last session, our argument that Early Voting Centers could handle registration up to two days before an election was met with panic. We got most election officials to acknowledge they could live with 21 days. It is to be determined if 21 days will be the target of this legislation.