South Carolina H 3588: LIFE scholarships

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3588 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 12, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3588

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 
5-15-112 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON SEEKING ELECTION FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPAL 
OFFICES BY WRITE-IN VOTES MUST TIMELY FILE A DECLARATION OF WRITE-IN CANDIDACY 
IN ORDER FOR WRITE-IN VOTES TO BE COUNTED IN HIS FAVOR; AND BY ADDING SECTION 
5-15-115 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT AN UNCONTESTED CANDIDATE FOR A MUNICIPAL OFFICE 
IS DEEMED ELECTED, AND SUCH OFFICE IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPEAR ON THE GENERAL OR 
SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT, AS APPLICABLE.

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

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

 Section 
5-15-112. (A) A person seeking 
election by write-in votes to any municipal office under this chapter must, no 
later than fourteen days after the closing of the candidate filing period for 
that office, file a declaration with the appropriate authority which includes the 
following information:

 (1) 
legal name;

 (2) 
name or names by which he is commonly known, if different from his legal name;

 (3) 
the office he is seeking;

 (4) 
his intention to seek election as a write-in candidate.

 (B) No 
write-in votes for a municipal office, the election of which is provided for in 
this chapter, may be counted for any person who does not timely meet the filing 
requirements of this section.

SECTION 2. Chapter 15, Title 5 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
5-15-115. (A) A municipal office is 
not required to appear on any general or special election ballot if fourteen 
days have elapsed since the candidate filing period for that office closed and:

 (1) 
only one person has filed for the office; and

 (2) 
no person has filed a declaration to be a write-in candidate pursuant to 
Section 5-15-112.

 (B) In 
such an event, the candidate who filed for the office is deemed elected and 
shall take office on the Monday following certification of the election 
results.

 (C) When 
no person has filed a declaration to be a write-in candidate pursuant to this 
section, the candidate who filed for the office must be declared the winner by 
the authority charged by law with conducting the election, and the votes for 
the election must not be counted or otherwise tabulated. If no other contested 
office is on the ballot for the general or special election, as applicable, no 
election may be held. Nothing in this section requires a ballot containing the 
name of a person who has been declared the winner pursuant to this section to 
be reprinted to delete the winning candidate's name or candidates' names from 
the ballot.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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