South Carolina H 3386: Ranked Choice Voting Ban

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3386 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3386

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 
7-13-870 SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF RANKED CHOICE VOTING OR INSTANT RUNOFF 
BALLOTS IN THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS IN THIS STATE.

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

SECTION 1. Article 7, Chapter 13, Title 7 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
7-13-870. (A) As used in this 
section, "instant runoff voting" and "ranked choice voting" mean a method of 
casting and tabulating votes in which:

 (a) 
voters rank candidates in order of preference;

 (b) 
tabulation proceeds in rounds such that in each round either a candidate or 
candidates are elected or the last-place candidate is defeated;

 (c) 
votes are transferred from elected or defeated candidates to the voters' 
next-ranked candidate or candidates in order of preference; and

 (d) 
tabulation ends when a candidate receives the majority of votes cast or the 
number of candidates elected equals the number of offices to be filled, as 
applicable.

 (B) A 
county election board of voter registration and elections or a municipal 
election commission shall not utilize instant runoff voting or ranked choice 
voting to conduct a general, special, or primary election for any federal, 
state, or local office.

 (C) 
Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit the conduct of at-large or 
multimember district elections in municipal and other local elections as 
otherwise permitted by law.

 (D) 
Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a covered voter under the 
provisions of the South Carolina Uniform Military and Overseas Voter Act from 
casting an absentee instant runoff ballot as provided in Section 7-15-650.

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

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This web page was last updated on December 06, 2024 at 11:34 AM