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H5278 • 2026

Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only

Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only

Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Rep. Long
Last action
2026-02-26
Official status
Referred to Committee on Judiciary ( House Journal-page 11 )
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only

Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S.

What This Bill Does

  • Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S.
  • Citizens Only

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-26 House

    Introduced and read first time ( House Journal-page 11 )

  2. 2026-02-26 House

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary ( House Journal-page 11 )

Official Summary Text

Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
2025-2026 Bill 5278: Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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This Bill
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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
H. 5278
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Long
Document Path: LC-0300HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Permit Voter Registration and Registration Cards for U.S. Citizens Only
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/26/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 11
)

2/26/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 11
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/26/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION
7-5-120
, RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS
FOR VOTER REGISTRATION, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ONLY CITIZENS OF THIS STATE AND
OF THE UNITED STATES MAY REGISTER TO VOTE; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
7-5-675
, RELATING
TO VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT ISSUING VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS
TO PERSONS WHO ARE NOT UNITED STATES CITIZENS.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
7-5-120
(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(
A)
Every
Only a
citizen of this State and
of
the
United States who applies for registration must be registered if he meets the
following qualifications:

(
1)
meets the age qualification as provided in Section 4, Article II of the
Constitution of this State;

(
2)
is not laboring under disabilities named in the Constitution of 1895 of this
State; and

(
3)
is a resident in the county and in the polling precinct in which the elector
offers to vote.

S
ECTION 2.
S
ection
7-5-675
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
7-5-675
. The State Elections Commission shall implement a system in order to
issue voter registration cards with a photograph of the elector. This voter
registration card may be used for voting purposes only.
No
voter registration card may be issued to a person who is not a United States
citizen.

S
ECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:16 AM