South Carolina Amendment 2, Capital Reserve Fund Increase Measure (2022)
| South Carolina Amendment 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic State and local government budgets, spending and finance | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
South Carolina Amendment 2, the Capital Reserve Fund Increase Measure, was on the ballot in South Carolina as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022. The measure was approved.
A "yes" vote supported increasing the Capital Reserve Fund from 2% to 3% of state general fund revenue and providing that the first use of the Capital Reserve Fund is to offset midyear budget reductions. |
A "no" vote opposed increasing the Capital Reserve Fund amount from 2% to 3% of state general fund revenue and providing that the first use of the Capital Reserve Fund is to offset midyear budget reductions. |
Election results
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South Carolina Amendment 2 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Prozentualer Anteil | ||
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973,178 | 62.46% | ||
| No | 584,911 | 37.54% | ||
Übersicht
What did the amendment change about the Capital Reserve Fund?
- See also: Text of measure
The amendment increased the Capital Reserve Fund (CRF) annual funding requirement from 2% to 3% of state general fund revenue.
The amendment provided that the first use of the CRF would be to offset midyear budget reductions. As of 2022, CRF funds could not be used to offset a mid-year budget reduction. The measure required the South Carolina General Assembly to provide in state law that, if before March first, expenditures for the current fiscal year are projected to exceed the projected revenue for the year, then the current year's appropriation to the Capital Reserve Fund must be reduced before any budget reductions. After March 1st of each fiscal year, the legislature can appropriate CRF funds by a two-thirds (66.67%) vote for capital improvement projects and to pay interest and principal on bonds.[1][2]
What is the Capital Reserve Fund?
- See also: Capital Reserve Fund
The Capital Reserve Fund (CRF), as well as the General Reserve Fund (GRF), are South Carolina's two rainy day funds, also known as budget stabilization funds. The GRF (funded at 5% of general fund revenues) is used to cover year-end operating budget deficits when the state's General Fund revenue collections cannot fully fund the state's expenditures in a fiscal year. The state legislature must appropriate 2% of the state's general fund revenue from the previous fiscal year to the Capital Reserve Fund. If GRF funds are used to cover a year-end budget deficit, money in the CRF must first be used to replenish the GRF. If there is no year-end operating deficit and the General Reserve Fund is fully funded, money in the Capital Reserve Fund can be appropriated through a two-thirds (66.67%) vote of present voting legislators (but not less than three-fifths of the total members in each chamber) for specified purposes. Funds not appropriated from the Capital Reserve Fund are returned to the state general fund at the end of a fiscal year. For fiscal year 2021-2022, the CRF was funded at $183.58 million.[3]
Has South Carolina voted on amendments concerning the General Reserve Fund and Capital Reserve Fund in the past?
- See also: Background
Amendments concerning the General Reserve Fund and Capital Reserve Fund were approved by South Carolina voters in 2010. Amendment 3 increased the General Reserve Fund amount from 3% to 5% of the state's general fund revenues incrementally by one-half of one percent over four years. It was approved by a vote of 71% to 29%. Amendment 4 provided that money in the Capital Reserve Fund must first be used to replenish the General Reserve Fund before being used to offset mid-year budget reductions. It was approved by a vote of 73% to 27%.[4]
A constitutional amendment to increase the GRF from 5% to 7% of general fund revenue was also on the 2022 ballot in South Carolina.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[2]
| " | Must Section 36(B), Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to provide that the Capital Reserve Fund of two percent of the general fund revenue of the latest completed fiscal year be increased to three percent of the general fund revenue of the latest completed fiscal year and to provide that the first use of the Capital Reserve Fund must be to offset midyear budget reductions?[5] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article III, South Carolina Constitution
The ballot measure amended Section 36(B) of Article III of the South Carolina Constitution. The following struck-through text was deleted and underlined text was added.[2]
Note: Use your mouse to scroll over the below text to see the full text.
General Reserve Fund ... (B) The General Assembly, in the annual general appropriations act, shall appropriate, out of the estimated revenue of the general fund for the fiscal year for which the appropriations are made, into a Capital Reserve Fund, which is separate and distinct from the General Reserve Fund, an amount equal to (1) (2) (a) to finance in cash previously authorized capital improvement bond projects; (b) to retire interest or principal on bonds previously issued; (c) for capital improvements or other nonrecurring purposes. (3)(a) Any appropriation of monies from the Capital Reserve Fund as provided in this subsection must be ranked in priority of expenditure and is effective thirty days after completion of the fiscal year. If it is determined that the fiscal year has ended with an operating deficit, then the monies appropriated from the Capital Reserve Fund must be reduced based on the rank of priority, beginning with the lowest priority, to the extent necessary and applied to the year-end operating deficit before withdrawing monies from the General Reserve Fund. (b) At the end of the fiscal year, any monies in the Capital Reserve Fund that are not appropriated as provided in this subsection or any appropriation for a particular project or item which has been reduced due to application of the monies to a year-end deficit must lapse and be credited to the general fund.[5] |
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2022
Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.
The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 31, and the FRE is -2. The word count for the ballot title is 71.
Support
Supporters
The following officials sponsored the amendment in the state legislature.
Officials
- State Sen. Thomas Alexander (R)
- State Sen. George Campsen (R)
- State Sen. Harvey Peeler (R)
- State Sen. John Scott (D)
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.
Campaign finance
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Ballotpedia has not identified political action committees registered to support or oppose this measure. If you are aware of one, please email [email protected].
Background
South Carolina General Reserve Fund and Capital Reserve Fund
The General Reserve Fund (GRF) and Capital Reserve Fund (CRF) are South Carolina's two rainy day funds, also known as budget stabilization funds.[3]
General Reserve Fund
The GRF is used to cover year-end operating budget deficits when the state's General Fund revenue collections cannot fully fund the state's expenditures in a fiscal year. As of 2022, the GRF was mandated by the state constitution to be funded at 5% of the state's general fund revenue from the previous fiscal year. If funds are used, the General Reserve Fund must be restored to the constitutionally mandated full amount within five years. A minimum of 1% must be added back to the fund each year. For fiscal year 2021-2022, the state general fund budget was $9.27 billion and the GRF was fully funded at $458.96 million.[2][6][3]
In 2010, South Carolina voters approved Amendment 3, which increased the General Reserve Fund amount from 3% to 5% of the state's general fund revenues incrementally by one-half of one percent over four years.
A constitutional amendment to increase the GRF from 5% to 7% of general fund revenue was also on the 2022 ballot in South Carolina.
Capital Reserve Fund
Going into the election, the state legislature was required to appropriate 2% of the state's general fund revenue from the previous fiscal year to the Capital Reserve Fund. Money in the CRF was required to be used to replenish the GRF if funds were used to cover a year-end operating deficit. If there was no year-end operating deficit and the General Reserve Fund was fully funded at the amount required by the state constitution (5% of state general fund revenue), money in the CRF could be appropriated through a two-thirds (66.67%) vote of present voting legislators (but not less than three-fifths of the total members in each chamber) for specified purposes. The specified purposes are as follows:
- to fund authorized capital improvement bond projects;
- to retire the interest or principal on past bonds; or
- for capital improvements or other nonrecurring purposes.
Capital Reserve Fund appropriations must be ranked in priority of expenditure and take effect 30 days after the fiscal year ends. If the fiscal year ends with a deficit, then CRF appropriations must be reduced beginning with the lowest priority appropriation and applied to the year-end deficit before using GRF funds.[2]
Funds not appropriated from the Capital Reserve Fund are returned to the state general fund at the end of a fiscal year. For fiscal year 2021-2022, the CRF was funded at $183.58 million.[3]
In 2010, South Carolina voters approved Amendment 4, which provided that money in the Capital Reserve Fund must first be used to replenish the General Reserve Fund before being used to offset mid-year budget reductions.[4]
South Carolina ballot measure statistics
- See also: List of South Carolina ballot measures
In South Carolina, a total of 54 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2018. Forty-five ballot measures were approved, and 9 ballot measures were defeated.
| South Carolina statewide ballot measures, 1985-2018 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the South Carolina Constitution
To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in both the South Carolina State Senate and the South Carolina House of Representatives.
SJR 1106
The measure was introduced in the state legislature as Senate Joint Resolution 1106 on March 1, 2022. It was approved in the Senate on March 17, 2022, by a 43-0 vote with two members absent and one vacancy. On May 4, 2022, the House amended the proposal and unanimously approved the amended version, sending it back to the Senate. The Senate voted 40-1 to concur with the House’s amendments on June 15.[7]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in South Carolina
Click "Show" to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in South Carolina.
| How to cast a vote in South Carolina | |||||
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Poll timesIn South Carolina, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[8]
Registration
To register to vote in South Carolina, one must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the county and precinct where he or she is registering, and at least 18 years old by Election Day. People who have been declared mentally incompetent by court order, are imprisoned, or are still serving a sentence for a felony conviction are ineligible to register to vote.[9] The deadline for registration is 30 days before the election. Prospective voters may register using one of the following methods:
Automatic registrationSouth Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.[10] Online registration
South Carolina has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationSouth Carolina does not allow same-day voter registration.[10] Residency requirementsProspective voters must be residents of the county and precinct in which they are registering to vote.[9] Verification of citizenshipSouth Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.[9] Verifying your registrationThe South Carolina Election Commission allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting the MyscVOTES website.
Voter ID requirementsSouth Carolina requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[8][11] Voters can present the following forms of identification:
Voters can obtain a free photo ID from a local DMV office or a county elections office.[12] All voters are required to present photo identification at the polls in South Carolina. Acceptable forms of ID include a valid SC driver's license or ID card, a photo voter registration card, a U.S. passport, or a U.S. military or veterans ID. Voters can get a free photo ID from their county voter registration office by providing their name, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.[13] Click here to learn more about the background of South Carolina's law. As of April 2024, 35 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards. Provisional balloting for voters without IDA voter without the required photo identification may cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit stating that he or she has "a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID." For more information about provisional ballots, see below.[8] Provisional ballot rulesVoters in South Carolina are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances. (South Carolina refers to provisional voting as failsafe voting.)[13][14] (1) If the voter moves from one address to another within the same precinct, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(2) If the voter moves from one precinct to another within the same county, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(3) If the voter moves from one South Carolina county to another within 30 days of an election, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
(4) If the voter moves from one state to another after the deadline to register to vote in a presidential election in the new state of residence.
According to the South Carolina Election Commission, failsafe voting also applies to municipal elections, with one exception: A voter must have resided within the municipality for 30 days or more prior to the election to be eligible to vote. So if a voter has moved from outside a specific municipality to inside that municipality and the move occurred after the 30 day mark; failsafe does not apply.[13][14] Was your provisional ballot counted?A provisional ballot is rejected when the voter votes in the wrong precinct, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.[14] Use the MyscVOTES website to check the status of your provisional ballot. Local election officials
Primary election type
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Carolina utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary. Voters must take an oath affirming that they have not voted in another party's primary.[10][15][16][17] For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. Time off work for votingBallotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.[18] If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us. As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions. Voting rules for people convicted of a felonyIn South Carolina, voting rights are restored to people convicted of a felony upon the completion of their sentence, including probation and parole.[9] Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[10] Voter list maintenanceAll states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[19] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[20] When names can be removed from the voter listSouth Carolina law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[21][22]
Inactive voter list rulesCounty boards of elections are required to send a notice of status to each registered voter. If a notice is returned as undeliverable, county election officials are to notify the State Election Commission, which places the voter on an inactive list. If the voter fails to respond to additional notices and does not vote in two consecutive general elections, the voter is removed from the registration list.[23] The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."[24] By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of May 2024, 24 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.[25] As of April 2023, South Carolina was participating in the ERIC program. Post-election auditingSouth Carolina state law requires post-election audits. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "The audit process compares the tabulated results of the election with the raw data collected in the electronic audit files by each voting machine on a flash card." The election commission "developed a series of computer applications that compare the tabulated returns reports with the raw audit data." Discrepancies are listed in a report. The first audit is conducted before the county certifies the election, and second audit is conducted before the election is certified.[26] Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[27][28] Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more. As of July 2024, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.[29]
Election policy ballot measuresBallotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in South Carolina.
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in South Carolina. The following information is included for each bill:
Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information. Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker. Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
The Ballot Bulletin
Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.
Ballot accessIn order to get on the ballot in South Carolina, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election. There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in South Carolina. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in South Carolina." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes). Redistricting
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of South Carolina's seven United States Representatives and 170 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[30][31][32][33] South Carolina was apportioned 7 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in South Carolina after the 2020 census. HIGHLIGHTS
State process
In South Carolina, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[34] South Carolina's legislative redistricting committees adopted redistricting guidelines in 2011. These guidelines recommend that all congressional and state legislative districts be contiguous and "attempt to preserve communities of interest and cores of incumbents' existing districts." Further, the guidelines suggest that districts should "adhere to county, municipal, and voting precinct boundary lines." These guidelines may modified by the legislature at its discretion.[34]
Election administration agenciesElection agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in South Carolina can contact the following local, South Carolina, and federal agencies. South Carolina Voter Registration and Elections Offices South Carolina State Election Commission
South Carolina State Ethics Commission
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Ballotpedia's election coverage
See also
Elections in South Carolina
External linksFootnotes
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See also
External links
Footnotes
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