South Carolina Extends Filing Fees to Candidates Nominated at Conventions

On May 15, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed HB 3557. It says that candidates nominated in conventions must pay filing fees. The fee is 1% of the office’s salary. However, the law says the money goes to that candidate’s party. The money does not go to the state treasury.

Before the bill passed, only primary candidates needed to pay a filing fee. Fees for convention candidates are not logical. The purpose of filing fees is to keep ballots uncrowded. However, when a party nominates by convention, there is no problem with crowded primary ballots.

South Carolina still does not require independent candidates to pay a filing fee.


Comments

South Carolina Extends Filing Fees to Candidates Nominated at Conventions — 3 Comments

  1. Yes, but the South Carolina petition requirements for independent candidates are extremely severe. They need 10,000 signatures, whether running for statewide office or US House. No one has ever petitioned as an independent in South Carolina for US House, nor for Governor, nor for US Senator. Legislative independents need 5% of the number of registered voters, so there aren’t many independent candidates for legislature either.

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