South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 15 - Nominations And Elections For Municipal Offices
Section 5-15-20. Methods of election of council; mayor elected at large; qualifications.

Each municipality in this State shall provide by ordinance for the election of its council. Councils shall select any one of the following methods of election of council:
(1) Members of the council elected from the municipality at large.
(2) One member elected from each ward of the municipality by the qualified electors of the ward. Candidates seeking office from a particular ward shall be residents of the ward during their entire terms of office.
(3) Some members elected from wards as provided for in (2) and the remainder elected from the municipality at large.
(4) Members required to be residents of particular wards but be elected from the municipality at large.
(5) Some members may be required to be residents of particular wards and others may be residents of the municipality without regard to a particular ward and all members shall be elected from the municipality at large.
Regardless of the form adopted by the municipality, the mayor shall be elected at large.
Mayors and councilmen shall be qualified electors of the municipality and, if they are elected subject to residential or ward requirements as provided in this section, they shall be qualified electors of the ward prescribed for their election qualification.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-91; 1975 (59) 692; 1976 Act No. 623, Section 6.

Structure South Carolina Code of Laws

South Carolina Code of Laws

Title 5 - Municipal Corporations

Chapter 15 - Nominations And Elections For Municipal Offices

Section 5-15-10. Municipal primary, general and special elections conducted mutatis mutandi.

Section 5-15-20. Methods of election of council; mayor elected at large; qualifications.

Section 5-15-30. Procedure for changing number of or method of election of council members.

Section 5-15-40. Terms of office of mayor and councilmen.

Section 5-15-50. Establishment of municipal ward lines and time for general and special elections; public notice of elections.

Section 5-15-60. Municipality to adopt method of nominating candidates for and determining results of nonpartisan elections.

Section 5-15-61. Determination of election results under nonpartisan plurality method.

Section 5-15-62. Determination of election results under nonpartisan election and runoff election method.

Section 5-15-63. Determination of election results under nonpartisan primary election and general election method.

Section 5-15-70. Duty of governing body of municipality to enact ordinances relating to time requirements for nominations, primaries and the like.

Section 5-15-80. Results of political party primaries; protests and contests.

Section 5-15-90. Municipal elections conducted by municipal election commission; composition of commission and terms of members; training and certification program.

Section 5-15-100. Functions, powers and duties of municipal election commission.

Section 5-15-110. Filing with municipal election commission of nomination petition by candidates nominated by petition.

Section 5-15-120. Vote counting.

Section 5-15-125. Municipal elections resulting in tie.

Section 5-15-130. Procedures for contesting results of election.

Section 5-15-140. Contesting election results; appeal from decision of municipal election commission.

Section 5-15-145. Transfer of authority to conduct municipal elections to county elections commission.

Section 5-15-150. Oath of office for mayor and councilmen.

Section 5-15-160. Term of office of commissioner of public works may be extended.

Section 5-15-170. Ratification of actions of commissioner.