S.C. Code Ann. § 7-11-15
(A) In order to qualify as a candidate to run in the general election, all candidates seeking nomination by political party primary or political party convention must file a statement of intention of candidacy and party pledge and submit any filing fees between noon on March sixteenth and noon on March thirtieth as provided in this section. If March thirtieth is on a Saturday or Sunday, the time for filing extends to the next regular business day. For purposes of this section and Section 7-13-45, "next regular business day" means a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 363, Section 1, eff March 14, 1988; 1990 Act No. 583, Section 1, eff June 11, 1990; 1996 Act No. 226, Section 1, eff February 12, 1996; 2000 Act No. 236, Section 1, eff March 7, 2000; 2003 Act No. 3, Section 1, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on January 16, 2003); 2013 Act No. 61, Section 2, eff June 25, 2013; 2018 Act No. 142 (H.4977), Section 6, eff March 15, 2018.
Pursuant to the directive in 2014 Act No. 196, Section 8, at the direction of the Code Commissioner, references in this section to county election commissions or commissioners or county boards of voter registration were changed to the "Board of Voter Registration and Elections" and board members as appropriate.
1990 Act No. 583, Section 2, provides as follows:
"The amendment to Section 7-11-15 of the 1976 Code, as contained in Section 1 of this act, extends the time for filing a statement of candidacy or petition as provided by a local law governing a nonpartisan school trustee election for the general election of 1990 and all general elections conducted after that time."
1992 Act No. 289, Section 3 effective March 12, 1992, provides as follows:
"SECTION 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-11-15 of the 1976 Code, for 1992 only, the dates for filing for all candidates seeking nomination by a political party primary, political party convention, or petition is between noon June first and noon June twenty-fifth."
1997 Act No. 1, Section 6, eff February 12, 1997, provides as follows:
"SECTION 6. For purposes of the 1997 election for the members of the House of Representatives to be elected from those election districts revised by the provisions of Section 2-1-25 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Section 1 of this act, and for the members of the Senate to be elected from those election districts revised by Section 4 of this act, the following provisions apply:
"(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-11-15 of the 1976 Code, the dates for filing for all candidates seeking nomination by a political party primary or political party convention are between noon on June second and noon on June sixteenth.
"(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-11-210 of the 1976 Code, the date for filing the notice of candidacy and pledge is by noon on June sixteenth.
"(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-13-40 of the 1976 Code, certification of the names of all candidates to be placed on primary ballots must be made by the political party chairman, vice chairman, or secretary to the State Election Commission or the county election commission, whichever is responsible under law for preparing the ballot, not later than noon on June eighteenth.
"(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-13-40 of the 1976 Code, the date for primary elections is the second Tuesday in August.
"(5) For these elections held in 1997 only, if run-off primary elections are necessary they must be held on August twenty-sixth.
"(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-13-351 of the 1976 Code, all candidates seeking nomination by petition must file these petitions with the State Election Commission no later than noon on September ninth.
"(7) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7-13-350 of the 1976 Code, the names of all nominees to be placed on the special election ballots must be certified by the respective political party to the appropriate election commissioners by noon on September eleventh."
2013 Act No. 61, Sections 11, 14, provide as follows:
"SECTION 11. In order to educate various parties regarding the provisions contained in this act, the following notifications must be made:
"(1) The State Election Commission must notify each county election commission of the provisions of this act.
"(2) The State Election Commission must post the provisions of this act on its website.
"(3) Each state party executive committee must notify their respective county executive parties of the provisions of this act."
"SECTION 14. This act takes effect upon preclearance approval by the United States Department of Justice or approval by a declaratory judgment issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, whichever occurs first."
The amendment by 2013 Act No. 61 became effective June 25, 2013, see South Carolina Libertarian Party v. South Carolina State Election Com'n, 407 S.C. 612, 757 S.E.2d 707 (2014).
The 1990 amendment added the fifth unnumbered paragraph pertaining to nonpartisan school trustee elections.
The 1996 amendment revised this section.
The 2000 amendment added the second sentence of the third undesignated paragraph relating to candidates' qualifications, and, in the fourth undesignated paragraph, added "State House of Representatives or".
The 2003 amendment, in the second undesignated paragraph of item (3), designated (1) and added (2) and made nonsubstantive changes in items (1), (2), and the third undesignated paragraph of item (3).
The 2013 amendment rewrote the section.
2018 Act No. 142, Section 6, in (A), added the second and third sentences, and in (A)(2), inserted "State Election Commission or" preceding "county board" in the first sentence; in (B), substituted "Except as provided in this section, the board of voter registration and elections" for "Except as provided herein, the election commission"; in (C), substituted "candidate or his agent must file a signed statement of intention of candidacy and the election commission with whom it is filed must stamp the statement with the date and time received, keep the original statement, provide a copy to the candidate, and provide a copy" for "candidate must file three signed copies and the election commission with whom it is filed must stamp each copy with the date and time received, keep one copy, return one copy to the candidate, and send one copy" in the third sentence; in (D), substituted "or his agent must file a signed party pledge, as required pursuant to Section 7-11-210, and the election commission with which it is filed must stamp the party pledge with the date and time received, provide a copy to the candidate, and provide a copy" for "must file three signed copies of the party pledge, as required pursuant to Section 7-11-210, and the election commission with whom it is filed must stamp each copy with the date and time received, return one copy to the candidate, and send one copy"; in (E), substituted "election commission with which the filing fee is filed must issue a receipt for the filing fee," for "candidate must sign a receipt for the filing fee, and the election commission with whom it is filed must", and inserted "or his agent," in the first sentence; and made nonsubstantive changes throughout.