Haley Signs Ballot Reform Bill Into Law

In a ceremony in the Statehouse lobby on Wednesday morning, Gov. Nikki Haley signed S.2, otherwise known as the Equal Access to the Ballot Act, into law.

The bill was filed by Sen. Chip Campsen (R-Charleston) and Larry Martin (R-Pickens) among others, and is meant to correct the months-long controversy from last year that saw hundreds of candidates removed from ballots.

The so-called “poster child” of the ballot mess, Sen. Katrina Shealy (R- Lexington) was among those in attendance for the signing. After being thrown off the ballot, Shealy qualified as a petition candidate and her victory over longtime incumbent Jake Knotts was one of the biggest upsets in recent political history.

Former Attorney General Henry McMaster, who co-chaired Gov. Haley’s commission for ethics reform, tied the bill signing to South Carolina’s economic competitiveness.

Most notably, S.2:

·      Does not disqualify candidates for late economic interest filings and fines them instead.

·      Streamlines the dates for filing deadlines.

·      Puts county election commissions, rather than political parties, in charge of the documents and fees.

One of the problems that created the ballot mess was the need to file a Statement of Economic Interest on line as well as in person.

When she was a House member, Haley was a co-sponsor of the bill that required candidates to file electronically. One of the unintended consequences of the bill was the confusion between filing online and filing in person. That confusion is eliminated with S. 2.

In her remarks today, Haley stressed the importance of making the electoral process as open to challengers as possible, saying it brings an “end to the arrogance of incumbency.”

S. 2 passed easily but it did have its critics. Among the criticismswas the removal of political parties as the facilitator of the filing process. 

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