Immediately following the closing of the polls, the manager shall:
(a) Count the number of electors who voted, as shown in the poll list.
(b) Count the unused ballots without removing stubs.
(c) Count the soiled and defaced ballots.
(d) Insert the totals of (a), (b) and (c) of this section on the report forms provided therefor.
(e) Count and secure or inactivate all marking devices in the polling place so that no device may be used or operated by any unauthorized person in the polling place.
(f) Remove the voted ballots from the containers and sort them according to types or parts of ballots if more than one type or part has been used. If the number of voted ballots exceeds the number of voters whose names appear upon the poll list, the managers shall enter on the poll list an explanation of such discrepancy. Any manager having a different explanation shall enter it on the poll list and subscribe to it.
Before leaving the precinct, each ballot shall be reviewed and, if there appear markings other than by the marking device or there are names of candidates in spaces authorized for write-in votes, such write-in votes shall be tabulated by the precinct officials and the results certified to the counting station. In such instance, the precinct officials shall first determine, for the contest in which a write-in vote has been cast, that the voter on such ballot has not, for such contest, voted contrary to the voting instructions for such contest. If it is determined that the voter has not violated such instructions, write-in votes shall be tabulated and the ballot shall be reinserted with the remainder of the ballots. If it is determined that the voter has violated the instruction for marking the ballot, then the entire ballot shall be tabulated by the precinct officials and the results certified to the counting station, or the county board of voter registration and elections may cause a duplicate to be made of that part of the ballot marked according to such instructions.
Provided, that if it appears that a ballot is so torn, bent, or otherwise defaced or has been marked by other than the marking device, so that it cannot be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment, the county board of voter registration and elections may cause a duplicate of each such ballot to be marked so that it can be so counted.
Such duplicate ballots, when so authorized by the board of voter registration and elections, shall be prepared at the counting station in the presence of witnesses and substituted for the original ballots, which duplicate ballots shall be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment. The original ballots shall be preserved and all such duplicate ballots shall be clearly labeled with the word "duplicate" and shall bear a serial number which shall also be recorded on the original. At the counting station, write-in votes tabulated by the precinct officials shall be added to the results from ballots tabulated with the automatic tabulating equipment and the totals certified as the precinct count on the summary sheet.
(g) Put the unused ballots with the stubs attached, and soiled and defaced ballots with the stubs attached, in the envelopes or containers provided and certify the number. The voted ballots shall be placed in designated containers provided by the county board of voter registration and elections for use with automatic tabulating equipment, sealed, and the containers shall be sealed. Officials duly authorized by the county board of voter registration and elections shall then transport all of the ballots, precinct election supplies and records to the location designated by the board of voter registration and elections for the processing or counting, or both, of such ballots.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.111; 1970 (56) 2022.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 13 - Conduct Of Elections
Section 7-13-20. Time of general election for certain county officers.
Section 7-13-25. Early voting.
Section 7-13-30. Time of election of probate judges.
Section 7-13-35. Notice of general, municipal, special, and primary elections.
Section 7-13-45. Acceptance of filings.
Section 7-13-50. Second and other primaries.
Section 7-13-60. Hours polls open.
Section 7-13-72. Managers of election.
Section 7-13-80. Organization of voter registration and elections; managers and clerks; oaths.
Section 7-13-100. Managers shall take oath before opening polls.
Section 7-13-110. Residency requirements of chairmen, clerks, and managers of elections.
Section 7-13-120. Candidates and their relatives may not be managers or clerks.
Section 7-13-140. Maintenance of order; police powers of managers.
Section 7-13-150. Penalty for failure to assist in maintaining order.
Section 7-13-160. Peace officers shall enter polling place only on request or to vote.
Section 7-13-170. Procedure when managers fail to attend, take charge of, or conduct election.
Section 7-13-180. Posting proposed constitutional amendments at polling place.
Section 7-13-190. Special elections to fill vacancies in office.
Section 7-13-310. Kinds of general election ballots; different colored paper to be used.
Section 7-13-315. Joint election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor; single vote.
Section 7-13-320. Ballot standards and specifications.
Section 7-13-325. Use of candidate's given name, derivative of, or nickname on ballot.
Section 7-13-330. Form of ballot; instructions.
Section 7-13-335. Arrangement of names on certain ballots.
Section 7-13-340. Printing and distribution of ballots.
Section 7-13-350. Certification of candidates; verification of qualifications.
Section 7-13-351. Nominees by petition.
Section 7-13-360. Place on ballot for write-in names.
Section 7-13-370. Death, withdrawal, or disqualification of candidate after name printed on ballot.
Section 7-13-380. Reprinting ballots to delete name of deceased or withdrawn candidate is optional.
Section 7-13-390. Limitations on withdrawal of candidacy.
Section 7-13-400. Form of ballot when questions are submitted.
Section 7-13-410. Ballots where both statewide and local constitutional amendments are submitted.
Section 7-13-420. Oath of printer of ballots and assistants.
Section 7-13-460. Use of paper ballots.
Section 7-13-610. Ballot specifications; separate ballots for each party.
Section 7-13-611. Arrangement of official county and state primary ballots.
Section 7-13-720. Oath of voter.
Section 7-13-730. Delivery and marking of ballot; deposit into ballot box.
Section 7-13-780. Designation of voters who may receive assistance.
Section 7-13-790. Substitute for marred or defaced ballot.
Section 7-13-800. Write-ins to be in handwriting of voter or authorized manager.
Section 7-13-810. Prevention of illegal voting or taking too much time; challenging voters.
Section 7-13-820. Voting by person whose name is not on registration book.
Section 7-13-825. Location of requirements to challenge a ballot.
Section 7-13-830. Procedure when voter challenged.
Section 7-13-840. Ballot boxes; number, location, construction, color, labeling.
Section 7-13-850. Closing polls; voters waiting may vote.
Section 7-13-860. Watchers; appointment, qualifications, identification, and conduct.
Section 7-13-1010. Additional oath of voters.
Section 7-13-1020. Absentee voting not permitted in primaries; exceptions.
Section 7-13-1030. Voting by National Guard when on duty.
Section 7-13-1040. No person may vote in more than one primary on same day.
Section 7-13-1110. Counting ballots and declaration of result; volunteer personnel may assist.
Section 7-13-1120. Disposition of improperly marked ballots.
Section 7-13-1130. Disposition of ballots found in wrong box and ballots folded together.
Section 7-13-1140. Procedure when too many ballots found in box or too many votes tabulated.
Section 7-13-1160. Reporting of election results to State Election Commission.
Section 7-13-1170. Ordering of new election by Governor.
Section 7-13-1340. Requirements for vote recorders or optical scan voting devices.
Section 7-13-1350. Payment for vote recorders.
Section 7-13-1360. Form and contents of ballot labels; primary elections.
Section 7-13-1370. Ballot cards.
Section 7-13-1371. Ballot cards used in conjunction with optical scanning device; instructions.
Section 7-13-1380. Write-in votes.
Section 7-13-1400. Delivery of vote recorders; duties of officials at polling places.
Section 7-13-1410. Duties of officials after closing of polls; review of ballots; duplicate ballots.
Section 7-13-1420. Observation by poll watchers after polls close.
Section 7-13-1440. Witnesses are to observe at counting station.
Section 7-13-1450. Public display of vote recorders preceding election.
Section 7-13-1460. Use of paper ballots where use of vote recorders is not possible or practicable.
Section 7-13-1470. Procedure when vote recorder becomes out of order.
Section 7-13-1480. Custody, storage, and care of vote recorders.
Section 7-13-1490. Regulations, instructions, and forms.
Section 7-13-1500. Oath of person preparing or operating tabulating devices.
Section 7-13-1610. State Board of Voting Machine Commissioners.
Section 7-13-1620. Voting system approval process.
Section 7-13-1640. Voting machine requirements.
Section 7-13-1650. Experimental use of voting machines.
Section 7-13-1655. "Voting system" defined; State Election Commission duties.
Section 7-13-1670. Demonstrations with machines for instruction of voters.
Section 7-13-1680. Number of voting machines; type and use; repair; custody.
Section 7-13-1690. Employment and qualifications of custodians of voting machines.
Section 7-13-1710. Voting machine ballots; arrangement of nominations.
Section 7-13-1720. Unopposed candidates in primaries.
Section 7-13-1730. Use of separate ballots on constitutional amendments and other public measures.
Section 7-13-1740. Sample or instruction ballots.
Section 7-13-1780. Placement of voting machines in polling places.
Section 7-13-1790. Lights and screens.
Section 7-13-1810. Instructions of voters by model machine at polling place.
Section 7-13-1820. Persons within guard rail; time permitted voters to vote.
Section 7-13-1830. Instruction after voter has entered machine.
Section 7-13-1840. Assistance may be given to voters.
Section 7-13-1850. Write-in ballots.
Section 7-13-1860. Duty to protect machines against injury.
Section 7-13-1870. Procedure when voting machine becomes inoperative.
Section 7-13-1880. Canvass and return of vote; return of provisional and failsafe ballots.
Section 7-13-1900. Use of voting machines for primary elections.
Section 7-13-1910. Possession of voting machine key by unauthorized person.
Section 7-13-1920. Tampering with voting machine.
Section 7-13-1930. Other provisions of this Title applicable to use of voting machines.
Section 7-13-2120. Constitutional Ballot Commission.
Section 7-13-2130. Jurisdiction of proceedings challenging explanations.