COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina House Tuesday amended an elections-related bill it passed last year to add a series of controversial election security measures opposed by Democrats, who said the changes on short notice took them by surprise.
The amendment, introduced by House Majority Whip Brandon Newton, R-Lancaster, and adopted 75-39 largely along party lines, changed portions of a bill that firmed up the oversight and authority of South Carolina's State Election Commission to add a prohibition on ballot drop boxes and expand the array of election audits the state can perform, among other things.
Especially frustrating to Democrats, the vote came a day ahead of a separate hearing on a proposal sponsored by House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, that would add two weeks of early voting, require certain forms of identification to vote absentee and eliminate certain excuses to vote absentee.
