Section 7-5-186 - Statewide voter registration database(A) The State Election Commission shall establish and maintain a statewide voter registration database that must be administered by the commission and made continuously available to each county board of voter registration and elections and to other agencies as authorized by law. The executive director must conduct an annual general registration list maintenance program to maintain accurate voter registration records in the statewide voter registration system.(B) State agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Employment and Workforce, and the Department of Corrections, shall provide information and data to the State Election Commission that the commission considers necessary in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section, except where prohibited by federal law or regulation. The State Election Commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the State Election Commission, which is confidential in the possession of the entity providing the data, remains confidential while in the possession of the State Election Commission.(C) The State Election Commission may enter into agreements to share information or data with other states or groups of states, as the commission considers necessary, in order to maintain the statewide voter registration database established pursuant to this section. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the commission shall ensure that any information or data provided to the commission that is confidential in the possession of the state providing the data remains confidential while in the possession of the commission. The commission may provide such otherwise confidential information or data to persons or organizations that are engaging in legitimate governmental purposes related to the maintenance of the statewide voter registration database.(D) A county board of voter registration and elections shall send a notice, as described in Section 7-5-330(F)(2), to a registered elector by mail at the address on file with the board to verify the accuracy of the information in the statewide voter registration database regarding that elector if a discrepancy exists between information provided under this section and information that is maintained in the statewide voter registration database.(E) Information provided under this section for maintenance of the statewide voter registration database must not be used to update the name or address of a registered elector. The name or address of a registered elector must only be updated as a result of the elector's actions in filing a notice of change of name, change of address, or both.Amended by 2022 S.C. Acts, Act No. 150 (SB 108),s 19, eff. 5/13/2022.Added by 2012 S.C. Acts, Act No. 265 (HB 4945), s 3, eff. 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. 2012 Act No. 265, Section 9, provides as follows:
"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."
Preclearance approval for 2012 Act No. 265 was received on October 1, 2012.