2021-22 Electoral Democracy Advocacy

2021-22 Electoral Democracy Advocacy

2021-22 Legislative Advocacy

The League remains focused most intensively on its Making Democracy Work (MDW) campaign: voting and elections, redistricting, and opposition to constitutional convention resolutions. The League, as always, will attempt to advocate on all bills falling within our areas of interest as defined in state and national policies. Follow our latest Making Democracy Work (MDW) Network Updates to organizations that share our interests. 

Related LWVSC Electoral Democracy Positions/Issues 

LWVSC 2021-22 Bills of Interest

PDF icon LWVSC Bills of Interest 2021-2022 v.2.13.2022

Some of the bills of potential interest at present include the following: 

 

Absentee and No-Excuse Early Voting 

H. 4919: The League greatly appreciates the movement toward no-excuse early voting for South Carolinians in H.4919. However, we have several important concerns. The bill requires that early polling places include the county election office and that none can be within 10 miles of another. This would lead to very disproportionate numbers of voters attempting to use early polling places in large urban centers and would also reduce the total number of polling places in some counties significantly below those otherwise permitted by the formula.

The bill requires that applications for absentee ballots and ballot envelopes include voter identification numbers that can be taken from a range of government-issued photo identifications, from passports to military identifications. Election offices have no access to the databases of these numbers, so they cannot be verified when received. 

Finally, South Carolina needs a “notice and cure” provision for absentee ballots, so that voters will be notified if their absentee application or absentee ballot is found defective. 

 

State Election Commission

H.3444 exists at present in two versions, a House version that would grant the state “plenary” (absolute) authority over county election offices. This is entirely acceptable.

The Senate version of the bill (now on the House calendar) would provide for SEC regulations to ensure consistency among county offices. The League regards the Senate version as acceptable, although the requirement that the SEC Executive Director receive Senate advice and consent is unnecessary

February 2021 testimony on the original version of this bill is below. However, it predates removal of positive changes in SEC composition from the bill in House Elections and Voting Subcommittee and predates our full understanding of the implications of “plenary” (absolute) authority over county offices.
 

S. 129 would place the SEC under the control of the Secretary of State, a partisan office. The League opposes this bill. However, the subcommittee recommended an amendment that was adopted by the full House Judiciary Committee. That amendment returns the Governor’s appointment powers to the original form: five individuals of whom only one does not represent the Governor’s party.  

S. 499 would require Senate advice and consent for the appointment of SEC members and the Executive Director of the SEC broadening the input into these important positions. It would also establish some of the conditions associated with legislative intervention in court cases involving state ethics laws. The League supports this bill. 

 

Absentee Voting

S.113 places additional restrictions on who can deliver absentee ballots to an elections office, the amount of time available to request an absentee ballot, and more. 

 

Procedures for Maintaining Voting Rolls: 

A House ad hoc committee is holding oversight hearings specifically on South Carolina’s procedures for maintaining voting rolls.
 
The League has prepared a background document to inform members and the public about the current process in South Carolina. 
 
The League has submitted written testimony to this House committee, to be accompanied by oral testimony on June 30, 2021.  

 

Voter Registration

H.3496 would require voter registration by party and close primaries to all who are not registered to that party or willing to be registered with that party for the following two years. The League opposes this because it would disenfranchise many voters in our many non-competitive elections. 

 

Redistricting

The League will be very active in attempting to shape the 2021 redistricting process in the interest of voters rather than incumbents or parties. Refer to Redistricting 2021: People Powered Fair Maps for South Carolina for a full chronology of testimonies and updates.