South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 5 - Qualifications And Registration Of Electors
Section 7-5-186. Statewide voter registration database.

(A) The State Election Commission shall establish and maintain a statewide voter registration database that must be administered by the commission and made continuously available to each county board of voter registration and elections and to other agencies as authorized by law. The executive director must conduct an annual general registration list maintenance program to maintain accurate voter registration records in the statewide voter registration system.
(B) State agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Employment and Workforce, and the Department of Corrections, shall provide information and data to the State Election Commission that the commission considers necessary in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section, except where prohibited by federal law or regulation. The State Election Commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the State Election Commission, which is confidential in the possession of the entity providing the data, remains confidential while in the possession of the State Election Commission.
(C) The State Election Commission may enter into agreements to share information or data with other states or groups of states, as the commission considers necessary, in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the commission that is confidential in the possession of the state providing the data remains confidential while in the possession of the commission. The commission may provide such otherwise confidential information or data to persons or organizations that are engaging in legitimate governmental purposes related to the maintenance of the statewide voter registration database.
(D) A county board of voter registration and elections shall send a notice, as described in Section 7-5-330(F)(2), to a registered elector by mail at the address on file with the board to verify the accuracy of the information in the statewide voter registration database regarding that elector if a discrepancy exists between information provided under this section and information that is maintained in the statewide voter registration database.
(E) Information provided under this section for maintenance of the statewide voter registration database must not be used to update the name or address of a registered elector. The name or address of a registered elector must only be updated as a result of the elector's actions in filing a notice of change of name, change of address, or both.
HISTORY: 2012 Act No. 265, Section 3, eff upon preclearance approval or declaratory judgment; 2022 Act No. 150 (S.108), Section 19, eff May 13, 2022.

Editor's Note
2012 Act No. 265, Section 9, provides as follows:
"This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
Preclearance approval for 2012 Act No. 265 was received on October 1, 2012.
Effect of Amendment
2022 Act No. 150, Section 19, rewrote the section.

Structure South Carolina Code of Laws

South Carolina Code of Laws

Title 7 - Elections

Chapter 5 - Qualifications And Registration Of Electors

Section 7-5-10. Appointment of board members; previous offices abolished; training and certification requirements.

Section 7-5-20. Deputy members of boards.

Section 7-5-30. Duties of boards.

Section 7-5-40. Supplements to counties to help defray expenses of registration office.

Section 7-5-50. Prohibition on private funds.

Section 7-5-110. Persons must register in order to vote.

Section 7-5-120. Qualifications for registration; persons disqualified from registering or voting.

Section 7-5-125. Written notification of registration.

Section 7-5-130. Time and place where books must be kept open for registration.

Section 7-5-140. Additional days and hours for registration; notice of time and place.

Section 7-5-150. Closing registration books; registration of persons coming of age while books closed.

Section 7-5-155. Registration of electors by mail.

Section 7-5-160. Voter registration; permanent registration.

Section 7-5-170. Necessity for written application for registration; information to be contain on form; oaths; decisions on applications.

Section 7-5-175. Providing voter registration application forms to high school administration.

Section 7-5-180. Procedure for registration when qualification is completed after closing books.

Section 7-5-185. Electronic applications for voter registration.

Section 7-5-186. Statewide voter registration database.

Section 7-5-190. Security measures.

Section 7-5-210. Physically disabled persons may execute forms by mark.

Section 7-5-220. Certificates invalid at election within thirty days of issuance.

Section 7-5-230. Legal qualifications; challenges; proof of residency or domicile; appeals.

Section 7-5-240. Proceedings on appeal in court of common pleas.

Section 7-5-250. Right to and proceedings on further appeal to Supreme Court.

Section 7-5-280. State Election Commission shall furnish registration forms.

Section 7-5-310. Definitions; designations.

Section 7-5-320. Application for motor vehicle driver's license and voter registration.

Section 7-5-325. Address changes given under oath; fraud; penalties.

Section 7-5-330. Completion, receipt, and disposition of voter registration application; discretionary removal of elector.

Section 7-5-340. Duties of State Election Commission, removal of elector from official list.

Section 7-5-350. Annual voter list maintenance report.

Section 7-5-410. Maintenance and inspection of official registration records.

Section 7-5-420. Lists of voters for party primaries.

Section 7-5-430. Books for general and special elections.

Section 7-5-440. Failure to notify county board of voter registration and elections of change in address.

Section 7-5-460. Custody of books and return after election.

Section 7-5-470. Division of registration books into sections.

Section 7-5-610. Citizens entitled to vote in municipal elections.

Section 7-5-620. Production of identification and proof of residence.

Section 7-5-630. Municipal registration or enrollment not required.

Section 7-5-660. Preparation of registration books.

Section 7-5-670. Use and custody of registration books.

Section 7-5-675. Voter registration cards; use.