---
type: "Bill"
title: "Absentee ballots"
description: "AN ACT TO ESTABLISH COVID-19 VOTING-RELATED PROCEDURES FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION; TO AUTHORIZE ABSENTEE VOTING FOR ALL QUALIFIED ELECTORS RESIDING OR VOTING IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO A DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY; TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS; TO DELINEATE HOW QUALIFIED ELECTORS MAY SUBMIT COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS; TO ESTABLISH A START DATE FOR IN-OFFICE ABSENTEE VOTING; TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR THE EXAMINATION OF RETURN-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES AND THE TABULATION OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS; TO REQUIRE THAT CERTAIN INFORMATION BE INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 7-13-35; TO REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 DURING THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION; TO REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A VOTER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO PROVIDE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT SHALL APPLY ONLY TO THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION AND THE PROCESSES NECESSARY TO FINALIZE THE RESULTS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "H 5305"
citation: "South Carolina H 5305 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Newton", "Lucas", "Norrell", "Yow"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 21
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2020-02-27"
last_action: "2020-09-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/17c6ed92-0be3-4098-9903-06b9dc6678f3"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=5305&session=123&summary=B"
source_hash: "66325eb7f1a1747e0e8af2e5962ca7db0975f6750a6ab2c3368d9d5af2a278e3"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-sc"]
---

# South Carolina H 5305 (2019-2020) — Absentee ballots

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH COVID-19 VOTING-RELATED PROCEDURES FOR THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION; TO AUTHORIZE ABSENTEE VOTING FOR ALL QUALIFIED ELECTORS RESIDING OR VOTING IN AN AREA SUBJECT TO A DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY; TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR THE RECEIPT OF COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS; TO DELINEATE HOW QUALIFIED ELECTORS MAY SUBMIT COMPLETED ABSENTEE BALLOTS TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS; TO ESTABLISH A START DATE FOR IN-OFFICE ABSENTEE VOTING; TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR THE EXAMINATION OF RETURN-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES AND THE TABULATION OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS; TO REQUIRE THAT CERTAIN INFORMATION BE INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIRED PURSUANT TO SECTION 7-13-35; TO REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 DURING THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION; TO REQUIRE THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A VOTER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO PROVIDE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT SHALL APPLY ONLY TO THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION AND THE PROCESSES NECESSARY TO FINALIZE THE RESULTS. - ratified title

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/5305.htm)
2. **2/27/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/5305_20200227.htm)
3. **3/12/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/5305_20200312.htm)
4. **3/3/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/5305_20200303.htm)
5. **9/2/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/5305_20200902.htm)
6. **9/3/2020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/5305_20200903.htm)

## Votes

- Passage of Bill — **105–0** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 2a — **73–45** (pass) · lower
- Concur in Senate Amendments — **115–1** (pass) · lower
- Table Amendment 1a — **76–43** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Newton — primary (person)
- Lucas — primary (person)
- Norrell — primary (person)
- Yow — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-02-27** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2020-02-27** Referred to Lancaster Delegation
- **2020-03-03** Delegation report: Favorable Lancaster Delegation
- **2020-03-04** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-03-04** Roll call Yeas-105 Nays-0
- **2020-03-05** Read third time and sent to Senate `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-03-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2020-03-10** Referred to Committee on Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-12** Recalled from Committee on Judiciary
- **2020-09-02** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2020-09-02** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2020-09-02** Roll call Ayes-xxx Nays-xxx
- **2020-09-02** Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative day
- **2020-09-03** Read third time and returned to House with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-09-03** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2020-09-15** Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled
- **2020-09-15** Roll call Yeas-93 Nays-1
- **2020-09-16** Ratified R 149
- **2020-09-16** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2020-09-23** Effective date 09/16/2020
- **2020-09-23** Act No. 143

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/17c6ed92-0be3-4098-9903-06b9dc6678f3`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).