TO AMEND ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER 13, TITLE 7 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO VOTING PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL ELECTIONS, BY ADDING SECTION 13-7-705, TO REQUIRE THAT ELECTORS CAST BALLOTS ON VOTING MACHINES THAT PROVIDE A VOTER-VERIFIED PAPER AUDIT TRAIL, AND TO PROVIDE THAT MACHINES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS ACT ARE PLACED IN SERVICE NO LATER THAN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARIES.

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

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 13, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 13-7-705.    Electors shall cast ballots on voting machines that are designed to allow a direct vote on the machine by manual touch of a screen, monitor, wheel, or other device and that are equipped with a voter-verified paper audit trail that produces a permanent paper recording of all votes cast by each elector in that election."

SECTION    2.    Voting machines required pursuant to this act shall be placed in service no later than the 2020 presidential preference primaries pursuant to Section 7-11-20 of the 1976 Code.

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