A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "GOLD STANDARD ELECTIONS ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 7-3-20, RELATING TO THE DUTIES OF THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SO AS TO REQUIRE SEPARATE LISTS FOR ACTIVE, INACTIVE, AND ARCHIVED VOTER REGISTRATIONS, TO UTILIZE U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES' SAVE SERVICES TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE NON-U.S. CITIZENS FROM THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST AND MAINTAIN A PUBLICLY AVAILABLE LIST OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, AND TO COMPARE THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST WITH CERTAIN FEDERAL LISTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-5-160, RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR A VOTER REGISTRATION PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, REQUIRE VALID IDENTIFICATION TO REGISTER TO VOTE, AND FOR THE COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS TO ISSUE A VOTER IDENTIFICATION CARD FOR EACH REGISTRATION; BY ADDING SECTION 7-5-200 SO AS TO PERMIT ONLY PAPER POLL BOOKS AT VOTING LOCATIONS; BY ADDING SECTION 7-7-715 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE MAXIMUM POPULATION OF EACH PRECINCT, REQUIRE A NEW PRECINCT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF POPULATION EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AND PROVIDE FOR A PENALTY FOR VIOLATION; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-72, RELATING TO MANAGERS OF ELECTIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE FOUR ELECTION MANAGERS FOR EACH TWO HUNDRED FIFTY REGISTERED VOTERS; BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-700 SO AS TO REQUIRE ONLY QUALIFIED ELECTORS WHO COMPLY WITH ALL CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS TO VOTE IN AN ELECTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-730, RELATING TO THE DELIVERY, MARKING, AND DEPOSIT OF BALLOTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE INITIALS OF TWO POLL MANAGERS ON EACH BALLOT; BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-870 SO AS TO PROVIDE REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER BALLOTS AND THE HAND COUNT OF THOSE BALLOTS; BY ADDING SECTION 7-13-880 SO AS TO REQUIRE CHAIN OF CUSTODY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL VOTING SYSTEM COMPONENTS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-1110, RELATING TO COUNTING BALLOTS AND RESULT DECLARATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC HAS ACCESS TO VIEW THE BALLOT COUNT PROCESS PROVIDED THERE IS NO INTERFERENCE WITH THE PROCESS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-13-1160, RELATING TO COUNTY REPORTING OF ELECTION RESULTS TO THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, SO AS TO REQUIRE EACH COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS TO POST ITS ELECTION RESULTS BEFORE NOTIFICATION OF UNOFFICIAL RESULTS TO THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-320, RELATING TO PERSONS QUALIFIED TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT, SO AS TO REQUIRE ONLY U.S. CITIZENS WITH A CURRENT AND VALID VOTER REGISTRATION BE PERMITTED TO VOTE AND AMEND CIRCUMSTANCES FOR WHICH A PERSON MAY VOTE ABSENTEE; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-330, RELATING TO ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE AN APPLICATION REQUEST TO INCLUDE THE SIGNATURE OF THE REQUESTOR AND A WITNESS; BY AMENDING SECTION 7-15-420, RELATING TO RECEIPT, TABULATION, AND REPORTING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE ABSENTEE BALLOTS BE TRANSPORTED TO THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY, PERMIT ABSENTEE BALLOT COUNTS AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE, AND RENDER AN ABSENTEE BALLOT NULL AND VOID IF THE VOTER VOTED IN-PERSON FOR THAT ELECTION; BY ADDING SECTION 7-19-130 SO AS TO PROHIBIT A STATE ELECTOR IN A FEDERAL ELECTION PROCESS FROM VOTING FOR ANY CANDIDATE AND OBJECT TO THE FEDERAL ELECTION PROCESS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 53-5-10, RELATING TO LEGAL HOLIDAYS, SO AS TO ADD GENERAL ELECTION DAY AS A LEGAL HOLIDAY.
H4295, titled the “Gold Standard Elections Act,” would make sweeping changes to South Carolina election administration, voter registration, absentee voting, ballot handling, and vote counting. The bill directs the State Election Commission executive director to maintain separate active, inactive, and archived voter lists; use USCIS SAVE to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls; and compare voter registration data monthly against federal address and death databases. It also would require valid identification to register, create a ten-year registration term, and have counties issue a voter identification card upon registration.
The bill would move South Carolina toward a paper-based election system by prohibiting electronic poll books, requiring hand-marked paper ballots for statewide elections, mandating hand counts at each precinct, and requiring public observation and livestreaming of the count. It also adds chain-of-custody rules for election equipment and ballots, requires two poll manager initials on each ballot, increases the number of poll managers, and sets precinct population limits with a felony penalty for county officials who fail to create new precincts on time. Additional provisions tighten absentee voting procedures, require absentee ballot requests to be signed and witnessed, and require absentee ballots to be counted at the precinct after polls close.
The bill would also amend reporting and transparency rules by requiring counties to post unofficial results before sending them to the State Election Commission and by allowing the public to view ballot counting so long as the process is not disrupted. Finally, it would declare general election day a legal holiday and add a provision directing South Carolina’s federal electors to object under certain conditions involving other states’ voting systems.
Overall, the bill reflects a strong election-integrity and anti-technology approach, with an emphasis on paper records, voter list maintenance, and tighter controls on absentee and in-person voting. Because the provided materials contain no committee transcripts or recorded votes, there is no documented legislative debate or vote history to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the likely sentiment is that supporters would view it as a security and transparency measure, while critics would likely see it as imposing substantial administrative burdens and restricting voting access.
The main points of contention are likely to be the elimination of electronic poll books, mandatory hand counts, stricter absentee voting rules, and the use of SAVE and other databases to remove voters from the rolls. The bill’s public list of removed non-citizens, felony penalty for precinct-planning violations, and the federal-elector provision may also draw legal and policy objections. Supporters would likely argue these provisions improve election security and public confidence, while opponents would likely argue they create privacy, access, and implementation concerns.
H4295 would substantially revise multiple provisions of Title 7 of the South Carolina Code governing elections and voter registration. It would impose new duties on the State Election Commission and county election boards, require more frequent voter-roll maintenance, restrict registration and absentee voting procedures, ban electronic poll books, mandate hand-marked paper ballots and hand counts, and add new chain-of-custody and reporting requirements. It would also amend the state holidays statute to make general election day a legal holiday. The bill would affect election administrators, county boards, poll managers, voters seeking registration or absentee ballots, and state election officials, while potentially creating significant operational and compliance obligations for counties.
No committee transcripts or vote records were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or recorded support/opposition. The bill’s framing as the “Gold Standard Elections Act” suggests its sponsors intend it as a pro-integrity election reform package. From the text alone, the measure appears designed to appeal to voters and lawmakers concerned about election security, but its breadth and restrictive features suggest it would also face substantial skepticism from those prioritizing access, administrative feasibility, and privacy.
Likely points of contention include the requirement to use USCIS SAVE and publicly list removed non-citizens, the ten-year registration term paired with ID requirements, the ban on electronic poll books, and the mandate for hand-counted paper ballots with public livestreaming. The absentee voting changes—especially witness requirements, limits on third-party requests, precinct-level transport and counting, and automatic invalidation if a voter also votes in person—are also likely to be disputed. The felony penalty for county officials who fail to create new precincts on time and the provision directing state electors to object in a federal election process may raise additional legal and practical concerns.