Bill > S0109

This bill amends South Carolina's election laws to require voters to formally register as a member of a specific political party in order to vote in that party's primary election or partisan advisory referendum. Under the new provisions, voters must explicitly choose a party affiliation or select to remain an independent voter when registering to vote, and they will only be allowed to participate in the primary of the party they are registered with. The bill allows political parties to optionally open their primaries to independent voters if they choose, but by default, only registered party members can vote in a party's primary. The State Election Commission will be responsible for helping county election boards maintain lists of voter party affiliations and update the state voter file accordingly. The bill includes a phased implementation, with a transitional period until June 2026 during which voters can still vote in primaries without signing the party affiliation affidavit. Practically, this means voters will need to make a more deliberate choice about their political party involvement when registering to vote, potentially changing the dynamics of primary elections by making party participation more explicit and potentially more restrictive.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=109&session=126&summary=B