SC Ballot Fix: Needless “Reform”

Fiscally liberal South Carolina State Senators are patting themselves on the back after passing a “ballot fix” bill which aims to avoid a repeat of last year’s election debacle – which effectively disenfranchised thousands of voters.

In a story first reported here on FITS, hundreds of candidates for local and legislative office failed to properly file their statements of economic interest when declaring their candidacies a year ago. As a result of getting tripped up on this technicality – co-authored by then-S.C. Rep. Nikki Haley – the vast majority of these candidates were booted from the 2012 primary ballot.

The ensuing debacle effectively killed any chance reformers had at knocking off several vulnerable incumbents – while producing record low voter turnout.

Now, Senators claim they have “fixed” the problem by passing legislation which would give candidates a “grace period” if they fail to file their statement of economic interest – or filed it improperly.

Really?

This is ridiculous …

If Senators were serious about a “ballot fix,” they would have passed one last year – when it mattered.

Providing a “grace period” for this technicality – which every single office seeker in South Carolina is now intimately familiar with – isn’t a reform, it’s a talking point for Senators who passed a silly law and then failed to correct it when they had the chance.

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