South Carolina § 7-7-1000 - Pooling precincts in municipal elections.

§ 7-7-1000. Pooling precincts in municipal elections.

(A) For purposes of municipal general elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:

(1) Any precinct which contains five hundred or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.

(2) The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed one thousand five hundred.

(3) The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.

(4) The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.

(5) Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal general election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct.

(B) For purposes of municipal primary elections only, a municipality may pool one or more precincts with other precincts and have one voting place for all of these pooled precincts upon the following conditions:

(1) Any precinct which contains three thousand or more registered voters within the municipality must have its own voting place.

(2) The total number of registered voters within the municipality in each group of pooled precincts cannot exceed three thousand.

(3) The voting place of any precinct pooled with others cannot be more than three miles from the nearest part of any pooled precinct.

(4) The notice requirements of Section 7-7-15 must be complied with and in addition to this requirement, the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of election.

(5) Whenever precincts are pooled in a municipal primary election, the voter registration lists, poll lists, and ballots for each precinct represented must be used by the managers of election. Results of the election must also be reported and certified by individual precinct.

HISTORY: 1998 Act No. 412, SECTION 8, eff June 9, 1998; 2022 Act No. 207 (S.236), SECTION 1, eff May 23, 2022.

Effect of Amendment

2022 Act No. 207, SECTION 1, in the first undesignated paragraph, inserted the (A) designator and substituted "municipal general elections" for "municipal elections", and in (5), substituted "municipal general election" for "municipal election"; and added (B).