The Municipal Election Commission is hereby abolished, and all authority and responsibility held by the Town of Kingstree Municipal Election Commission for the conducting of municipal elections and the handling of absentee voting is hereby transferred to the Election Commission for Williamsburg County in the following particulars:
(A) The County Election Commission shall advertise municipal elections, prepare and distribute ballots and election materials, appoint managers of election to manage each polling place and/or to handle absentee ballot voting, and otherwise supervise and conduct all municipal elections within the town. The County Voter Registration will provide voter registration books to the County Election Commission for distribution to Town Election Clerks.
(B) Immediately upon the closing of the polls at any municipal election in the town, the County Election Commission shall begin to count and continuously count the votes cast and make a statement of the whole number of votes cast in such election, together with the number of votes cast for each candidate for Mayor and Council person, canvass the vote and publicly display the unofficial results.
(C) The County Election Commission shall thereafter certify the results of the elections and transmit the certified results to the State Election Commission and to the Town Council, or an appointed authority representing the town government as soon as practical following the certification.
(D) The County Election Commission shall accept candidate filings and filing fees, including but not limited to, notices of candidacy, candidacy pledges, shall hear and decide protests, and shall certify the results of municipal elections.
(E) The County Election Commission shall utilize an election printing system that will tabulate results directly uploaded onto the personalized electronic ballot (PEB), with the count publicly conducted.
(F) The County Election Commission shall take such other action as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct municipal elections and certify the results.
(G) The town, by and through its council, will set regular election dates and coordinate special elections with the County Election Commission.
(Ord. 2013-03, passed 6-17-13)