South Carolina H 3628: Rick Fulmer, service

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3628 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 05, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3628

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 SOUTH 
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SECURE, ACCURATE, AND VERIFIABLE 
ELECTIONS ACT" OR THE "SAVE ACT"; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-3-20, RELATING TO THE 
DUTIES OF THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SO AS TO REQUIRE 
SEPARATE LISTS FOR ACTIVE, INACTIVE, AND ARCHIVED VOTER REGISTRATIONS AND 
PROVIDE A LIST TO QUALIFIED ELECTORS FOR FREE; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-5-160, 
RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A VOTER REGISTRATION 
PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, REQUIRE VALID IDENTIFICATION TO REGISTER TO VOTE, AND FOR 
THE COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS TO ISSUE A VOTER 
IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR EACH REGISTRATION; BY ADDING SECTION 7-5-200 SO AS TO 
PERMIT ONLY PAPER POLL BOOKS AT VOTING LOCATIONS; BY ADDING SECTION 7-7-715 SO 
AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE MAXIMUM POPULATION OF EACH PRECINCT, REQUIRE A NEW 
PRECINCT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF POPULATION EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AND PROVIDE 
FOR A PENALTY FOR VIOLATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-72, RELATING TO MANAGERS 
OF ELECTIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE FOUR ELECTION MANAGERS FOR EACH TWO HUNDRED 
FIFTY REGISTERED VOTERS; BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-700 SO AS TO REQUIRE ONLY 
QUALIFIED ELECTORS WHO COMPLY WITH ALL CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY 
REQUIREMENTS TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-730, RELATING TO 
THE DELIVERY, MARKING, AND DEPOSIT OF BALLOTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE INITIALS OF 
TWO POLL MANAGERS ON EACH BALLOT; BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-870 SO AS TO PROVIDE 
REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS AND HAND COUNT OF THOSE BALLOTS; BY ADDING 
SECTION 7-13-880 SO AS TO REQUIRE CHAIN OF CUSTODY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL VOTING 
SYSTEM COMPONENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-1110, RELATING TO COUNTING BALLOTS 
AND RESULTS DECLARATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC HAS ACCESS TO VIEW THE 
BALLOT COUNT PROCESS PROVIDED THERE IS NO INTERFERENCE WITH THE PROCESS; BY 
AMENDING SECTION 7-13-1160, RELATING TO COUNTY REPORTING OF ELECTION RESULTS TO 
THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, SO AS TO REQUIRE EACH COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER 
REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS TO POST ITS ELECTION RESULTS BEFORE NOTIFICATION OF 
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS TO THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION; BY AMENDING SECTION 
7-15-320, RELATING TO PERSONS QUALIFIED TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT, SO AS TO 
REQUIRE ONLY U.S. CITIZENS WITH A CURRENT AND VALID VOTER REGISTRATION BE 
PERMITTED TO VOTE AND AMEND CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHICH A PERSON MAY VOTE ABSENTEE; 
BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-330, RELATING TO ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS, SO AS 
TO REQUIRE AN APPLICATION REQUEST TO INCLUDE THE SIGNATURE OF THE REQUESTOR AND 
A WITNESS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-420, RELATING TO RECEIPT, TABULATION, AND 
REPORTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE ABSENTEE BALLOTS BE TRANSPORTED 
TO THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY, PERMIT ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNTS AFTER THE POLLS 
CLOSE, AND RENDER AN ABSENTEE BALLOT NULL AND VOID IF THE VOTER VOTED IN-PERSON 
FOR THAT ELECTION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 53-5-10, RELATING TO LEGAL HOLIDAYS, 
SO AS TO ADD GENERAL ELECTION DAY AS A LEGAL HOLIDAY.

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

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Secure, Accurate, and Verifiable Elections 
Act" or the "SAVE Act."

SECTION 2.Section 7-3-20(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 (D) The executive director shall:

 (1) 
direct and supervise the implementation of the standardized processes 
established by the commission pursuant to Section 7-3-10(F);

 (2) 
supervise the conduct of the county boards of voter registration and elections, 
as established pursuant to Article 1, Chapter 5, which administers elections 
and voter registration in the State, and ensure those boards' compliance with 
the requirements with applicable state or federal law or State Election 
Commission policies and procedures with regard to the conduct of elections or 
the voter registration process by all persons involved in the elections 
process;

 (3) 
conduct reviews, audits, or other postelection analysis of the county boards of 
voter registration and elections, as established pursuant to Article 1, Chapter 
5, to ensure those boards' compliance with the requirements with applicable 
state or federal law or State Election Commission policies, procedures, or 
standardized processes with regard to the conduct of elections or the voter 
registration process by all persons involved in the elections process;

 (4) 
maintain a complete master file of all qualified electors by county and by 
precincts;

 (5) 
delete the name of any elector:

 (a) 
who is deceased;

 (b) 
who is no longer qualified to vote in the precinct where currently registered;

 (c) 
who has been convi