TO AMEND SECTION 7-17-560, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES TO HEAR CERTAIN PROTESTS AND CONTESTS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES ALSO TO HEAR PROTESTS AND CONTESTS IN THE CASE OF COUNTY OFFICERS AND LESS THAN COUNTY OFFICERS; AND TO REPEAL SECTIONS 7-17-530, 7-17-540, AND 7-17-550 RELATING TO HEARINGS BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES AND APPEALS FROM DECISIONS OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 7-17-560 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section    7-17-560.     The state executive committee must meet in Columbia at such place as may be designated by the chairman to hear and decide protests and contests that may arise in the case of federal officers, state officers, State Senate, State House of Representatives, and county officers involving more than one county and less than county officers. Any protest or contest must be filed in writing with the chairman of the committee, together with a copy for each candidate in the race, not later than noon on Monday following the canvassing of the votes for these officers by the committee. However, service upon the chairman may be perfected by depositing at the office of the Chief of the State Law Enforcement Division a copy of the protest, together with a copy for each candidate in the race. The chief must take immediate steps to deliver these copies to the chairman. The protest must contain each ground thereof stated separately and concisely. The chairman of the committee must forthwith serve upon each candidate in the protested race a copy of the protest and serve a notice of the time and place of the meeting of the committee for the purposes of hearing the protest."

SECTION 2.    Sections 7-17-530, 7-17-540, and 7-17-550 are repealed.

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.