2012 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 5 - Municipal Corporations
Chapter 1 - INCORPORATION
Section 5-1-50 - Issuance of commission by Secretary of State authorizing incorporation election; questions to be voted on; initial governing body.

(A)(1) After receipt of a recommendation from the Joint Legislative Committee on Municipal Incorporation, the Secretary of State shall determine whether the requirements of Section 5-1-30 have been met. If the Secretary of State determines that the requirements of Section 5-1-30 have been met, he shall issue to three or more persons residing in the area of the proposed municipality, a commission empowering them to:

(a) hold an election not less than twenty days nor more than ninety days after the issuance of the commission; and

(b) appoint three managers of election who shall conduct the election.

(2) Notice of the election must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the community or by posting in three public places within the area sought to be incorporated which contains detailed information concerning the election. The notice must be published or posted not less than five nor more than fifteen days before the date of the election.

(B)(1) At such election, all registered electors living in the area sought to be incorporated must be allowed to vote on the following questions:

(a) incorporation;

(b) name of the municipality;

(c) the form of government;

(d) method of election as prescribed in Section 5-15-20;

(e) whether the election is partisan or nonpartisan; and

(f) the terms of the mayor and council members.

(2) When any of the above questions proposed in an election contain more than two options, the option receiving the highest number of votes will prevail.

(3) If a community votes in favor of incorporation pursuant to this section and selects a form of government in an election, notwithstanding the results of the selections made by the voters as to questions (d), (e), and (f) in item (1) of this subsection, the initial governing body of the incorporated municipality consists of four council members and a mayor, all elected at large in a nonpartisan election for terms of two years.

(C) The managers of election shall conduct the election, unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, according to the general law governing the conduct of special elections mutatis mutandi.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 47-4; 1975 (59) 692; 1977 Act No. 152; 2005 Act No. 77, Section 1, eff July 1, 2005.