(A) The State Election Commission and the respective county boards of voter registration and elections shall prepare separate ballots for each political party holding a primary. The ballots for each party must contain in print only the names of the candidates who have filed to run in that particular party primary and must have a stub at the top perforated so as to be easily detached. On the stub must be printed "Official state (or county) Ballot, (name of party) Primary", the name of the county and the precinct, and the date of the primary. On the right side there must be a blank line under which must be printed "Initials of Issuing Officer". Stubs on ballots for each precinct must be numbered consecutively, beginning with "No. 1". The ballots must be furnished by the State Election Commission for all except members of the General Assembly, county officers, less than county officers, and circuit solicitors, for which the county board of voter registration and elections shall furnish the ballots. One ballot must contain the names of all persons in alphabetical order running for state and federal offices. The other ballot must contain, in alphabetical order, the names of all persons running for the General Assembly, county offices, less than county officers, and solicitors.
(B) Ballots furnished by the State Election Commission under this section must have marked on them in plain type, both on the stub and on the ballot, the words "Official State Ballot". Ballots furnished by the county board of voter registration and elections under this section must have marked on them in plain type, both on the stub and on the ballot, the words "Official County Ballot".
(C) Other than ballots delivered electronically to qualified electors who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. Section 20301, et seq., the ballots shall incorporate features which can be used to authenticate the ballot as an official ballot but which do not make the ballot identifiable to a particular elector. The ballot must be printed on paper of a thickness so that the printing cannot be distinguished from the back and must be of a size and color as directed by the State Election Commission. If more than one ballot is to be used in a primary, each ballot must be printed on different colored paper. The ballot must contain a voting square opposite the name of each candidate, and the voter shall vote by putting a mark in the voting square opposite the name of the candidate of his choice. The State Election Commission may establish, under Chapter 23 of Title 1, such rules and regulations as are necessary for the proper administration of this section.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 23-400.31; 1952 Code Section 23-377; 1950 (46) 2059; 1966 (54) 2340; 1981 Act No. 1 Section 1, eff January 14, 1981; 1992 Act No. 253, Section 6, eff February 19, 1992; 1996 Act No. 242, Section 2, eff March 4, 1996; 2022 Act No. 150 (S.108), Section 12, eff May 13, 2022.
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 150, Section 12, in (C), inserted the first sentence.
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.