From Staff Reports 

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Two referendums will be on the ballot for Greenville County voters for the General Election on Nov. 5, the Greenville News reported on Oct. 18.

Early voting for the election began on Oct. 21.  

Along with federal, state and local races, the two referendums for Greenville County residents to decide are as follows: 

• A state constitutional amendment that all South Carolina voters will see on their ballots.

• A proposal to increase the county’s sales tax by 1 percent.  

Regarding the two referendums Greenville County, voters will see a question about the fourth section in Article 2 of the state’s constitution reading as follows:

 â€œMust Section 4, Article II of the Constitution of this state, relating to voter qualifications, be amended so as to provide that only a citizen of the United States and of this state of the age of 18 and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law?” 

Current language of the state’s Constitution states the following:

 â€œEvery citizen of the United States and of this state of the age of 18 and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law.” 

The proposed change would read as follow: 

“Only a citizen of the United States and of this State of the age of eighteen and upwards who is properly registered is entitled to vote as provided by law.” 

The Greenville News noted, “In May, Gov. Henry McMaster directed SLED to investigate if non-citizens were voting in South Carolina elections. This came on the heels of a letter sent by the South Carolina Freedom Caucus chaired by South Carolina House of Rep. Adam Morgan (R-Greenville), which called on the Office of the State Inspector General to launch an investigation after he alleged a refugee was given a voter registration declination form by South Carolina’s Medicaid office.

  “Later that month, SLED released a preliminary inquiry report confirming allegations of voter fraud were unfounded. The Legislative Audit Council also reviewed state elections from 2022-2023 and found no incidents in which non-U.S. citizens with state identifications or driver’s licenses had voted.” 

 The report noted that refugees from Ukraine living in Spartanburg “received a double-sided form with a voter declination form on the front and a voter registration mail application form on the back. The first question of the voter registration form instructs signers that if they are not U.S. citizens, to not complete the form,” the Greenville News stated.

“The non-citizen family received a voter registration application form mailed by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services after successfully signing up for benefits, in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act.

“Still, the state’s General Assembly passed a joint resolution, which was introduced in February, proposing an amendment to the section. McMaster did not have to sign the resolution as the proposal goes straight to the ballot box and skips the governor’s desk.”

Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston, a co-sponsor of the resolution, told the Greenville News it was necessary as a “belt and suspenders approach” to ensure there is no room for interoperation from the state’s Supreme Court that would allow noncitizens to vote. 

Susan Bell, president of the League of Women Voters of Greenville County, told the newspaper the league opposes the change because it is “unnecessary” and a “solution without a problem.”