Alert! Please stop these regulations!
Email the subcommittee asap
Please send a quick email to Donna Neal and ask her to pass these comments along to the committee that will hear these regulations on Thursday. Please also email the committee directly with the link below:
Thanks to Jonathan Hill for also reviewing them and providing comments.
Here is Donna Neal’s email: DonnaNeal@schouse.gov
This link emails the committee
https://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=C&C=H2000000285
Particular issues are noted for the following regs:
Regulation D.5192 Potentially blocking election observers from being able to view the election process
The definition of "observer" gives poll clerks the power to refuse to allow observers to watch election proceedings:
This violates Article I, Section 3 of the SC Constitution, which protects citizens from having their rights taken without due process.
D.5193 Restricts voter list access and allows the price to be raised
Current costs for voter rolls are $2500 plus fees. This fee is not a “reasonable cost” per SC Title 7 legislation.
D.5203 This new regulation (45-12) allows electronic collection of petitions to place a candidate on the ballot
This regulation requires NO digital security measures of any kind. While current law requires signature verification by comparison to the one in the voter’s file, AI generation capabilities mean that “deepfake” signatures would be allowed (see 7-11-85).
D.5204 (Election Commission) - Election machine decisions
This change to regulation 45-10 gives the State Election Director the unilateral power to decide what electronic voting machine vendors to use. This should be a decision of the entire board of elections.
This would give the state Election Director total control over voting machine decisions. The Executive Director would have sole discretion over whether to approve or disapprove the use of the product.