South Carolina Panel Backs 2-Month Primary Delay as GOP Pushes 7-0 Map Targeting Clyburn
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 11
South Carolina Panel Backs 2-Month Primary Delay as GOP Pushes 7-0 Map Targeting Clyburn
6 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 11
A South Carolina House subcommittee voted 3-2 to advance a bill delaying the June 9 primary by two months, giving lawmakers more time to pass a redrawn congressional map.
That redraw is aimed at Rep. Jim Clyburn’s district and could hand Republicans a 7-0 House delegation in the state, according to the proposal’s backers and critics.
More than 6,000 absentee ballots have already been mailed to military and overseas voters, with more than 200 returned, raising warnings from election officials that a delay would be difficult and confusing.
Conway Belangia, the state Election Commission’s executive director, estimated moving the primary to August would cost $2.2 million to $2.5 million, while House members floated another $2 million for expected litigation.
The push follows the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais ruling last month, which tightened standards for race-based districts and opened the door for GOP-led states to revisit minority-majority maps.
Could mid-decade redistricting become a common practice for states following the recent landmark court decision?
With 6,000 ballots already sent, what happens to overseas and military votes if the primary date is changed?