COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A bill meant to prevent another ballot-tossing election debacle is scheduled for debate by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Chairman Larry Martin says his first priority is pushing through a bill clearing up the confusion that led to 250 candidates statewide being tossed from last June's primary ballots.
Martin says the Legislature needs to fix that quickly and move on.
The proposal syncs the candidate filing process for incumbents and those seeking public office. All would file financial disclosure forms online.
Senators will also consider changing the punishment, so that candidates have an opportunity to correct a glitch and pay a fine, rather than being removed from the race.
Last year's legal mess stemmed from a 2010 law on electronic filing that didn't match up different sections of state law.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
