Presidential primaries

2025-2026 Bill 1109: Presidential primaries - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 1109
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Hutto
Document Path: SR-0634KM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on April 14, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Presidential primaries
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

4/14/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 5
)

4/14/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 5
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
04/14/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
7-11-20
, RELATING TO PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, SO AS TO DECREASE THE
MAXIMUM FILING FEE THAT MAY BE CHARGED BY THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO EACH
CANDIDATE CERTIFIED BY A POLITICAL PARTY FOR THE CONDUCT OF A PRESIDENTIAL
PREFERENCE PRIMARY.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
7-11-20
(B)(2) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
2) If the state committee of a
certified political party which received at least five percent of the popular
vote in South Carolina for the party's candidate for President of the United
States decides to hold a presidential preference primary election,
then
the State Election Commission must conduct the
presidential preference primary in accordance with the provisions of this title
and party rules provided that a registered elector may cast a ballot in only
one presidential preference primary. However, notwithstanding any other
provision of this title, (a) the State Election Commission and the authorities
responsible for conducting the elections in each county shall provide for
cost-effective measures in conducting the presidential preference primaries including,
but not limited to, combining polling places, while ensuring that voters have
adequate notice and access to the polling places; and (b) the state committee
of the party shall set the date and the filing requirements, including a
certification fee. Political parties must verify the qualifications of
candidates prior to certifying to the State Election Commission the names of
candidates to be placed on primary ballots. The written certification required
by this section must contain a statement that each certified candidate meets,
or will meet by the time of the general election, or as otherwise required by
law, the qualifications in the United States Constitution, statutory law, and
party rules to participate in the presidential preference primary for which he
has filed. Political parties must not certify any candidate who does not or
will not by the time of the general election meet the qualifications in the
United States Constitution, statutory law, and party rules for the presidential
preference primary for which the candidate desires to file, and such
candidate's name must not be placed on a primary ballot. Political parties may
charge a certification fee to persons seeking to be candidates in the
presidential preference primary for the political party. A filing fee not to
exceed
twenty
two

thousand
five hundred
dollars, as determined by the
State Election Commission, for each candidate certified by a political party
must be transmitted by the respective political party to the State Election
Commission and must be used for conducting the presidential preference primaries.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on April 14, 2026 at 12:36 PM