💥💥💥💥IMPORTANT ACTION ALERT!!!! 💥💥💥💥
Bill 150 passed in ’22 moved the needle in some instances but also took a few steps back especially by instituting two weeks of early voting. The 3 bills below focus on further enhancing SC election law so that the citizens of SC can trust elections again.
Here are the election bills that we want to support that Rob Harris and our group worked on. Of course, these are just a start and ideally we would like to go to 1 day of voting (get rid of early voting), hand-marked and hand-counted paper ballots, Get rid of ERIC, and revamp our registration process so that we have people reregister more frequently.
H.4259 Hand Count Audit Act
https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/4259_20230405.htm
This bill calls for a hand count audit of at least 5 races within 3 precincts of each county and should include one statewide office or question; one federal office; and one countywide or less than countywide office or question
It also allows a county or county chair of a political party to call for an audit up to 22 months after an election (hand count or forensic).
H.4260 Voter Access and Transparency Act
https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/4260_20230405.htm
H 4260 eliminates early voting, calls for a return to paper poll books and gives full observation rights to every citizen to observe all phases of the election process and establishes chain of custody documentation to be recorded for all components of the election systems at all times.
It also removes the 65 and older provision for absentee voting thereby reducing the amount of mail in voting.
Most importantly, it establishes a pilot program for 2024 for at least 3 counties to cast votes on hand-marked paper ballots counted by hand. THE PEOPLE WANT PAPER!
https://www.scstatehouse.gov//sess125_2023-2024/prever/4261_20230405.htm
This bill makes the counties responsible for maintenance of the voter registration lists and ensures that SC qualified electors are able to receive and inspect at no charge essential voter registration and election reports such as voter registration lists, cast vote records, ballot review and reconciliation reports, chain of custody documents, incident reports, proof of citizenship verification, and signature verification.
This adds a provision that any system purchased for use in SC must utilize hand-marked paper ballots that are counted by hand.
Please read these bills and call the members of the Judiciary committee if they are your representatives. This is important. They pay attention to the people who live in their district.
Here is a list of the members of the judiciary committee.
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/CommitteeInfo/housejudiciary.php
(R) Wm. Weston J. Newton, Chairman—Beaufort County (District 120)
(R) Wallace H. “Jay” Jordan, Jr., 1st V.C.—- Florence County (District 63)
(D) John Richard C. King, 2nd V.C. – York County (District 49)
(R) William H. Bailey – Horry County (District 104)
(D) Justin T. Bamberg – Bamberg and Orangeburg (District 90)
(D) Beth E. Bernstein – Richland County (District 78)
(R) Thomas C. “Case” Brittain, Jr. – Horry County, Myrtle Beach (District 107)
(R) J. Benjamin “Ben” Connell – Kershaw County (District 52)
(R) Jason Elliott – Greenville County (District 22)
(R) Thomas Duval “Val” Guest, Jr. – Horry County, Myrtle Beach (District 106)
(R) Brandon Guffey – York County, Rock Hill (District 48)
(D) Rosalyn D. Henderson-Myers- Spartanburg (District 31)
(D) Patricia Moore “Pat” Henegan – Chesterfield, Darlington, Marlboro (Dist. 54)
(R) Jeffrey E. “Jeff” Johnson – Horry County (District 58)
(R) Matthew W. “Matt” Leber —-Charleston County (District 116)
(R) John R. McCravy, III – Greenwood & Laurens (District 13)
(R) Cody T. Mitchell – Darlington County (District 65)
(R) Travis A. Moore – Spartanburg (District 33)
(R) Robby Robbins – Colleton & Dorchester (District 97)
(D) Seth Rose – Richland County (District 72)
(R) Carla Schuessler – Horry County, Myrtle Beach (District 61)