South Carolina H 3396: A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE DUTCH FORK HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING TEAM, COACHES, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS, AT A DATE AND TIME TO BE DETERMINED BY THE SPEAKER, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BEING RECOGNIZED AND COMMENDED FOR WINNING THE 2016 CLASS AAAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE.

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3396 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3396

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 BY ADDING SECTION 
7-5-115 SO AS TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PROVIDE THAT A PERSON IS NOT ALLOWED TO 
VOTE IN A PARTISAN PRIMARY ELECTION OR A PARTISAN ADVISORY REFERENDUM UNLESS 
THE PERSON HAS REGISTERED AS BEING A MEMBER OF THAT PARTY OR IS REGISTERED AS 
AN INDEPENDENT; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-5-110, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENT OF 
REGISTRATION IN ORDER TO VOTE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON IS NOT ALLOWED TO 
VOTE IN A PARTISAN PRIMARY ELECTION OR PARTISAN ADVISORY REFERENDUM UNLESS THE 
PERSON HAS REGISTERED AS BEING A MEMBER OF THAT POLITICAL PARTY OR REGISTERED 
AS AN INDEPENDENT; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-5-170, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENTS 
FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE REQUIREMENT OF STATING POLITICAL 
PARTY AFFILIATION, IF ANY, ON THE FORM AND INCLUDING IT IN THE OATH AND TO 
REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO ASSIST IN CAPTURING THIS DATA; AND BY 
AMENDING SECTION 7-9-20, RELATING TO THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOTING IN PRIMARY 
ELECTIONS, SO AS TO INCLUDE, AS A REQUIREMENT, REGISTRATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 
PARTY OR STATUS AS A REGISTERED INDEPENDENT AND TO PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR 
CHANGING POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION OR NONAFFILIATION AFTER A SELECTION HAS 
BEEN MADE.

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

SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 5, Title 7 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
7-5-115. (A) Only an elector 
registered as a member of a certified political party may vote in a partisan 
primary election or partisan advisory referendum of the certified political 
party with which that elector is registered. All electors who have not 
registered as a member of a certified political party are deemed independent 
and may vote in a partisan primary election or partisan advisory referendum of 
a certified political party. Upon casting a vote in a partisan primary election 
or partisan advisory referendum of a certified political party, an independent 
elector becomes a registered member of that certified political party for two 
years. Once a member of a certified political party, an elector may not 
register with a different certified political party or return to independent 
status for two years. In no event may an elector registered as a member of a 
certified political party vote in the partisan primary election or partisan 
advisory referendum of a certified political party with which that elector is 
not registered.

 (B) The 
State Election Commission shall assist the county entities charged by law with 
registering electors with creating and maintaining a list of all electors 
registered by party affiliation. The State Election Commission shall indicate 
in the state voter file what selection an elector makes. An elector must be 
registered as a member of a certified political party or be independent thirty 
days prior to a partisan primary election or partisan advisory referendum in 
order to vote. The county entities shall allow electors to register by party, 
if they wish, by having an elector sign the following statement before an 
election official overseeing the conduct of the partisan primary election:

 "I do solemnly swear 
(or affirm) that I am a resident of South Carolina and a registered voter in 
this precinct. I further swear (or affirm) that I hereby choose to: (a) 
register as a member of a certified political party, specifically the 
________________ Party; or (b) register as an independent voter, unaffiliated 
with a certified political party."

 The form to be signed 
by the elector may list specifically all of the certified political parties 
from which the elector may choose and must contain the option for the elector 
to register as an independent voter unaffiliated with a certified political party. 
In an instance where an elector fails, for whatever reason, to select 
membership in one of the certified political parties, that elector is deemed to 
have chosen to be registered as an independent voter unaffiliated with a 
certified political party.

 (C) 
Prior to January 1, 2026, the entity charged by law with registering qualified 
electors shall contact the qualified electors of that county, by whatever 
method it determines to be appropriate, informing them of partisan primary 
voting procedures as provided in this section.

SECTION 2. Section 7-5-110 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
7-5-110. (A) No A person shall be allowed to may not vote at any in a partisan primary election 
or a partisan advisory referendum unless he shall be is registered as herein a member of that political 
party or as an independent as required by the 
provisio