Legislators are shifting strategies to finish work on a bill to unify how county election boards are set up. Sen. Chip Campsen said proponents are looking ahead to Wednesday for a House vote on a bill giving state election officials authority to perform county functions in some cases. Campsen was one of six legislators on a conference committee that, he said, has informally agreed on new wording on a bill addressing the patchwork of boards that manage elections across 46 S.C. counties. But instead of working through the conference committee, Campsen said, legislators will consider amendments to a similar bill now awaiting action in the House.
A lawsuit over the way legislators created Richland County’s board foreshadowed problems that could pop up across the state, with primaries just weeks away.
“Everybody liked the idea of the State Election Commission getting involved in county election results when there are problems and when there are certain triggers for their oversight,” said Campsen, R-Charleston.
He said the wording of the proposed amendment was not set, but that there’s general agreement that the state should be able to audit election results in a county office unable to certify them within 48 hours of an election.
Full Article: COLUMBIA, SC: Officials changing gears to advance SC elections board bill | Politics | The State.