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South Carolina Regulations § 45-5 Ballot Envelopes and Fold Over Ballot Cards

⤴ Up to Chapter 45: State Election Commission

Regulation Text

In vote recorder counties, in order to insure secrecy of the ballot and to provide for write-in space in elections, the commissioners of election or other electoral board shall authorize the use of one of the following types of ballot cards:
A. Ballot Card and Envelope.
1. Use in Primaries--the ballot card must be inserted by the voter into a ballot envelope in order to preserve the secrecy of the ballot. After the polls close and the ballot box is opened, poll managers shall separate ballot cards from ballot envelopes and the envelopes shall be returned to the County Executive Committee with other election supplies.
2. Use in Elections Other Than Primaries--the ballot card must be inserted by the voter into a ballot envelope in order to preserve the secrecy of the ballot. The ballot card and the ballot envelope must remain together in the ballot box in order to constitute a valid vote. Separated ballots shall be classified as invalid ballots and shall not be counted. After the polls close, the poll managers shall review the ballot card and the ballot envelope to ascertain whether the voter has cast write-in votes. If no write-in vote is recorded on the ballot envelope, such envelopes shall be returned to the commissioners of election or other electoral board with the other election supplies. If a write-in vote has been recorded on the ballot envelope, the poll managers shall follow the provisions of Section 7-13-1410 (f) of the 1976 S. C. Code.
B. Fold Over Ballot Card.
1. Use in Primaries--after the polls close and the ballot box is opened, poll managers shall separate the punch portion of the card from the fold over portion and the latter portion shall be returned to the County Executive Committee with other election supplies.
2. Use in Elections Other Than Primary Elections--the punch portion of the card and the write-in fold over portion must remain together in the ballot box in order to constitute a valid vote. Separated ballots shall be classified as invalid ballots and shall not be counted. After the polls close, the poll managers shall review the fold over ballot card to ascertain whether the elector has cast any write-in votes. If no write-in vote is recorded on the write-in portion of the ballot, then the write-in portion of the ballot card shall be returned to the commissioners of election or other electoral board with the other election supplies. If a write-in vote has been recorded on the proper portion of the fold over ballot card, the poll managers shall follow the provisions of Section 7-13-1410 (f) of the 1976 S. C. Code.

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