Seven Crucial Voting & Elections Bills on January 25, 9 AM

Seven Crucial Voting & Elections Bills on January 25, 9 AM

Time Range For Action Alert: 
January 22, 2024 to January 25, 2024

your voice matters

Important bills affecting voting and elections are scheduled for the Constitutional Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, January 25, at 9 AM in the Blatt Building, Room 516. Your input as a constituent is crucial! 

We are especially asking constituents of subcommittee members to reach out to their House members  to SUPPORT instant runoff or ranked choice voting and to REJECT bills that unrealistically and substantially increase the administrative burden on county election offices.

The asks

By January 25, 9 am, contact your legislator by phone. A friendly staff assistant will answer, or you can leave a message. 
 

Talking points

We ask you to contact your legislators and tell them that:

  • You SUPPORT instant runoff voting/ranked choice voting as a practical and efficient means of conducting municipal elections while accurately reflecting the will of voters. Ask them to vote for a FAVORABLE recommendation for H.4022, and an UNFAVORABLE recommendation for H.4591.
     
  • You OPPOSE H.4259, H.4260, and H.4261, which unnecessarily burden both election offices and voters WITHOUT increasing election integrity.

More information

  • H.4589 and H.4590 are sponsored by Speaker G. Murrell Smith. They prevent holdover of municipal officers while election disputes are resolved and extend early voting hours to7 PM for all elections. The League supports both bills and expects their favorable recommendation from the Subcommittee.
     
  • H.4022 by J. L. Johnson would allow the use of “instant runoff voting” [IRV] or “ranked choice voting” [RCV] in municipal elections, at the discretion of the municipality. This option is already available to South Carolina’s overseas voters and should be available to all voters. Allowing municipalities to use it is a pragmatic step that will substantially reduce the administrative burden on election offices and time pressure on voters, while accurately reflecting the full intent of voters.
    • It is common for no one to poll at 50% or more when there are three or more candidates, leading to a runoff between the two highest candidates.  The cost and effort required of election systems in runoffs are especially burdensome or municipalities, which often have limited election budgets. This method is also more efficient for voters, allowing them to express their wishes once, rather than having to vote twice.
    • Furthermore, South Carolina’s runoff system allows only 14 days after an election before a runoff. This time frame, unusually short in comparison with other states, puts a significant burden on both election offices and voters, especially those voting by mail. A longer period prior to all runoffs is generally desirable, and the use of instant runoff voting would eliminate this issue for municipalities that choose to use it.
  • H.4591 by Bill Taylor would, in contrast, prohibit the use of ranked choice voting. The League opposes H.4591.
  • Finally, Harris has filed H.4259 (Hand County Audit Act), H.4260 (Voter Access and Transparency Act), and H.4261 (Clean Voter Roll Act). All are unrealistic and unnecessary changes that would place heavy burdens on our election offices.
    • H.4259 would require unnecessary and very burdensome hand counts of all ballots. H.4260 would end early voting and would add an unnecessary requirement for voters with disabilities, apparently with the intent of limiting access to disability accommodations.
    • H.4261 would transfer responsibility for voters rolls to counties, which would constitute a new and very expensive administrative burden on them and would also require counties to verify citizenship and ballot signatures, neither at present required or even permitted under state law. Furthermore, with the transfer of responsibility to the counties the potential for problems and errors would increase substantially since counties cannot maintain the professional staffs or easily access the data available to the State Election Office.