Signed by Governor Nikki Haley

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires voters to present a form of photo identification in order to vote.

Highlights:

• Requires voters to present one of the following forms of photo identification prior to voting (Sec. 2):
• Valid and current South Carolina driver's license;
• Valid and current passport;
• Valid and current military identification card containing a photograph issued by the Federal government;
• Valid and current South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter; or
• Any valid and current form of photo identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

• Authorizes a voter to cast a provisional ballot if the voter is unable to produce the required identification (Sec. 2).

• Repeals the $5 fee for special identification cards for individuals aged 17 years and older (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires voters to present a form of photo identification in order to vote.

Highlights:

• Requires voters to present one of the following forms of photo identification prior to voting (Sec. 2):
• Valid and current South Carolina driver's license;
• Valid and current passport;
• Valid and current military identification card containing a photograph issued by the Federal government;
• Valid and current South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter; or
• Any valid and current form of photo identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

• Authorizes a voter to cast a provisional ballot if the voter is unable to produce the required identification (Sec. 2).

• Repeals the $5 fee for special identification cards for individuals aged 17 years and older (Sec. 3).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires voters to present a form of photo identification in order to vote.

Highlights:

• Requires voters to produce a valid and unaltered South Carolina driver's license or other form of identification containing a photograph, including (Sec. 1):
• A passport;
• Military identification containing a photograph issued by the federal government;
• An employee identification card containing a photograph of the voter, which is issued by the federal government, South Carolina, or a county or municipality of South Carolina; or
• A South Carolina voter registration card containing a photograph of the voter.

• Specifies that one of the managers shall compare the photograph contained on the required identification with the person presenting himself to vote to verify that the photograph is of the person requesting to vote (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the following voters to complete and submit a sworn statement (along with a provisional ballot) in place of photograph identification in order to be counted in the election (Sec. 1):
• Voters with a religious objection to being photographed;
• Voters who suffer from a reasonable impediment that prevents the voter from obtaining photo identification; or
• Voters that the county board of registration and elections has determined were challenged solely for the inability to provide proof of identification.

• Specifies that if an elector loses or defaces his registration notification, he may obtain a duplicate notification from his county board of registration upon request in person, by telephone or mail (Sec. 2).

• Requires that identification cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles must be free upon request to a person aged 17 years or older (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that qualified voters may vote by a paper absentee ballot at any time during the absentee ballot period or may cast an absentee ballot by a voting machine in the county in which they reside from 30 days before an election through the day immediately preceding the election (Sec. 6).

• Requires each county board to establish, maintain and supervise one absentee ballot center (Sec. 6).

• Defines "domicile" as a person's fixed home to which they intend to return when they are away (Sec. 9).

• Requires the board of registration to consider the previously listed provisions in order to determine a voter's domicile when a challenge is made regarding the voter's domicile (Sec. 10).

• Expands the responsibilities of the State Elections Commission to include (Secs. 11-13):
• Implementing a system in order to issue voter registration cards with a photograph of the elector;
• Establishing an aggressive voter education program;
• Creating a list containing all registered voters of South Carolina who are otherwise qualified to vote but do not have a South Carolina driver's license or other form of photo identification; and
• Providing the list of persons with a South Carolina driver's license or other form of photo identification at no cost to the commission.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires voters to present a form of photo identification in order to vote.

Highlights:

• Requires the presentation of one of the following forms of photograph identification to vote (Sec. 7):
• A South Carolina Driver's License;
• Another form of identification that contains a photograph issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles;
• A passport;
• Military Identification issued by the federal government that contains a photograph; or
• A South Carolina Voter Registration Card containing a photograph.

• Authorizes the issue of provisional ballots if identification cannot be produced, with some exceptions (Sec. 7).

• Requires the State Election Commission to compile a list of registered voters who have not been issued a photo I.D. by the DMV as of January 1, 2013, and to make that list available upon request (Sec. 1).

• Requires the State Election Commission to issue voter registration cards containing a photograph of the voter (Sec. 2).

• Identifies the main criteria for determining an individual's domicile, or "fixed home," for voting purposes (Sec. 3).

• Requires the executive director of the State Election Commission to maintain a separate designation for absentee voting in a general election (Sec. 4).

• Requires free identification cards to be made available to any person aged 17 years or older (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text