McMaster urges bill passage giving State House leaders, SC election agency more power
Despite South Carolina reporting no widespread voting problems in November, Gov. Henry McMaster urged the Legislature Monday to pass legislation that would expand the State Election Commission board and give the agency broader power over county offices.
In a two-page letter to the Legislature, the governor asked lawmakers to support House Speaker Jay Lucas’ proposal to expand the board over the state agency responsible for carrying out state and local elections. The expanded board would have nine members, giving the speaker and Senate president power to appoint members for the first time.
The bill also would bolster the power of the State Election Commission, giving the agency stronger say over how county election offices implement voting changes.
McMaster’s letter was the governor’s most explicit display of support for the bill.
The South Carolina House is expected to vote on the bill — H. 3444 — this week.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the lives of millions across the United States — and as governors and legislatures in other states continue to implement radical, unprecedented changes to our American system and way of life — South Carolina must take steps to maintain and strengthen public confidence and demonstrate its commitment to free and fair elections,” wrote McMaster, who is running for reelection in 2022.
The State Election Commission has at times been on the hot seat since last summer, when director Marci Andino sent a letter to State House leaders asking the General Assembly to implement voting changes to ensure voters stayed safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.
One of those measures, she asked, was to remove the witness signature requirement on absentee ballot envelopes.
The letter was praised, but Andino also frustrated GOP leaders when a federal judge temporarily removed the requirement of the witness signature, forcing a back-and-forth in the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually overruled the judge’s order.
State elections spokesman Chris Whitmire told The State last month the letters were intended to offer some clarity to make sure every one was aware of the “specific challenges and potential solutions” in South Carolina carrying out a historic election.
Lucas, R-Darlington, told lawmakers last month the State Election Commission did an “exemplary” job, but still moved forward asking them to pass the bill that would give top lawmakers more say in who sits on the agency’s board.
Right now, neither chamber leader has the authority to put people on the board, but the governor does.
The legislation also would reel in county election boards to ensure decision-making is the same from the state to the county.
“This is a bill that essentially tries to promote uniformity among the counties,” Lucas told The State last month. “What we found during the litigation this summer and into the fall was that South Carolina counties did not follow the same rules with regard to voting. I think it’s critical that a vote in Greenville should be exactly the same cast in Darlington County.”
The push is part of a national trend in mostly Republican-led states to tighten voting measures after a voter surge last year.
In South Carolina, Democrats and Republicans have filed more than a dozen bills aimed at either expanding or restricting voter access, and leaders say more legislation is likely to come.
McMaster wrote to lawmakers that while the witness signature requirement offered security, the state learned counties were “employing a hodgepodge” of election processes and, to ensure voter safety, state election laws must be clear across the board.
“This critical legislation will enhance accountability at the State Election Commission and safeguard the voting process against the threat of fraud, which — if left unchecked could do permanent damage to our republican form of government.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
