Below is a list of all the amendments you'll see on the ballot. Everyone will vote on the three statewide amendments. Horry County residents will also vote on the sales tax question. Voters in the city of Florence will vote on Sunday alcohol sales, as will voters in the city of Lake City. Marlboro County residents will vote on the school bond referendum.
SOUTH CAROLINA AMENDMENT 1
Must Section 33, Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended so as to delete the provision that no unmarried woman shall legally consent to sexual intercourse who shall not have attained the age of fourteen years?
Yes
No
Explanation of Above:
This amendment deletes the section of the Constitution which says an unmarried woman must be fourteen years old or older in order to consent to sexual intercourse. Deleting this section would allow the state legislature to set the age of consent. Currently, the state legislature has the age of consent set at sixteen for most cases.
A "yes" vote would delete the section from the Constitution and let the state legislature set the age of consent.
A "no" vote would leave the section of the Constitution in place.
SOUTH CAROLINA AMENDMENT 2
Must Section 16, Article X of the Constitution of this State relating to benefits and funding of public employee pension plans in this State and the investments allowed for funds of the various state-operated retirement systems be amended so as to provide that the funds of any trust fund established by law for the funding of post-employment benefits for state employees and public school teachers may be invested and reinvested in equity securities subject to the same limitations on such investments applicable for the funds of the various state-operated retirement systems?
Yes
No
Explanation of Above:
"Post-employment benefits" are benefits, mainly health insurance, provided to eligible state government and school district retirees.
To comply with a change in accounting standards, the state has created trust funds to pay for these post-employment benefits. This amendment relates to how the money in these trust funds may be invested.
A "yes" vote would give the state government the option to invest these funds in equity securities (stocks).
A "no" vote would mean that state government is not allowed to invest these funds in any kind of equity securities (stocks).
SOUTH CAROLINA AMENDMENT 3
Must Section 16, Article X of the Constitution of this State relating to benefits and funding of public employee pension plans in this State and the investments allowed for funds of the various state-operated retirement systems be amended so as to provide that the funds of any political subdivision of this State that have been set aside for the funding of post-employment benefits for the political subdivision's employees, including those invested in independent trusts established for that purpose, may be invested or reinvested in equity securities of the type permitted for investment by the various state operated retirement systems, as provided for by the General Assembly?
Yes
No
Explanation of Above:
This amendment is the same as Amendment 2 except it applies to local governments' post-employment benefits (instead of the state government's post-employment benefits).
EDUCATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SALES AND USE TAX ACT REFERENDUM FOR HORRY COUNTY
Must a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in Horry County for 15 years with the revenue of
the tax used to pay, directly or indirectly, the cost of some or all of the following education capital
improvement projects in Horry County:
(1) 80% of the revenue of the tax shall be used for the following projects of the School District of
Horry County:
(a) Future Capital Projects
Additions/Renovations including equipment for existing facilities:
Additions/renovations to, and equipment for, all 26 elementary schools
Additions/renovations to, and equipment for, all 10 middle schools
Additions/renovations to, and equipment for, all 9 high schools
Additions/renovations to, and equipment for, all academies and education centers
Additions/renovations to, and equipment for, the Aynor Conway Career Center
Constructing and equipping of new facilities:
15 new elementary schools
3 new middle schools
3 new high schools
Facilities to accommodate innovative curriculum and academic programs
Facilities jointly owned and/or operated with other educational institutions in the
County
Athletic facilities improvements at 7 high schools
Land acquisition
Purchase land for new school facilities
(b) Current Capital Projects
Additions/Renovations including equipment for existing facilities:
Additions/Renovations to, and equipment for, Aynor Conway Career Center, Aynor High
School, Carolina Forest Middle School, Carolina Forest High School, Conway Education
Center, Conway High School, Conway Middle School, Conway Primary School, Daisy
Elementary School, Forestbrook Elementary School, Forestbrook Middle School, Green
Sea Floyds Elementary School, Green Sea Floyds High School, Lakewood Elementary
School, Loris High School, Midland Elementary School, Myrtle Beach Elementary
School, Myrtle Beach High School, Myrtle Beach Intermediate School, Myrtle Beach
Middle School, Myrtle Beach Primary School, North Myrtle Beach High School, North
Myrtle Beach Intermediate School, North Myrtle Beach Middle School, North Myrtle
Beach Primary School, Socastee Elementary School, Socastee High School, South
Conway Elementary School, St. James Elementary School, St. James Middle School,
Waccamaw Elementary School, and Whittemore Park Middle School
Constructing and equipping of facilities:
Academy for Arts, Science, and Technology, Academy for Technology and Academics,
Aynor Elementary School, Aynor Middle School, Black Water Middle School , Burgess
Elementary School , Carolina Forest Elementary School, Carolina Forest High School,
Conway Elementary, Elementary for Carolina Forest Area, Forestbrook Middle School,
Homewood Elementary, Kingston Elementary, Loris Elementary School (including land),
Loris Middle School, Myrtle Beach Elementary School, Myrtle Beach Middle School,
North Myrtle Beach Elementary, North Myrtle Beach Middle School (including land),
Ocean Bay Elementary School, Ocean Bay Middle School, Pee Dee Elementary, Seaside
Elementary School, and St. James High School
(2) 13.3% of the revenue of the tax shall be used for the following projects of Coastal Carolina
University:
Construction, expansion and/or renovation of academic, classroom, faculty office, library,
student activity/recreation buildings and related equipment and furnishings on its campus
within the County.
Acquisition of real property for such facilities to accommodate renovation, expansion and
growth
Construction and equipping of facilities jointly owned and/or operated with other
educational institutions in the County
(3) 6.7% of the revenue of the tax shall be used for the following projects of Horry-Georgetown
Technical College:
Construction, expansion and/or renovation of academic, classroom, faculty office,
auxiliary service, administrative and/or student activity/recreation buildings and related
equipment and furnishings on its campuses within the County.
Acquisition of real property for such facilities to accommodate renovation, expansion,
and growth.
Construction and equipping of facilities jointly owned and/or operated with other
educational institutions in the County.
All revenue received by the School District from the sales and use tax will be used to reduce property
taxes needed to pay debt service on School District bonds and to directly pay costs of education capital
improvements projects of the School District identified herein. Shared revenue will be used to pay debt
service on bonds issued for Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College and to
directly pay costs of education capital improvement projects as identified herein.
Yes
No
Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after
the word "Yes," and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in
the square after the word "No."
CITY OF FLORENCE REFERENDUM
Shall the South Carolina Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in the city of Florence, South Carolina for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments otherwise authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales?
A "yes" vote would authorize the South Carolina Department of Revenue to issue temporary permits to nonprofit organizations and business establishments, otherwise authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales, within the City of Florence to allow possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink on any day of the week, including Sunday.
A "no" vote would not authorize the South Carolina Department of Revenue to issue temporary permits for consumption-on-premises sales to nonprofit organizations or business establishments within the City of Florence for possession, sale, or consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink on Sunday.
Explanation of above:
Should the referendum question set out above be answered by the voters in the affirmative, the South Carolina Department of Revenue will be authorized to issue temporary permits to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments, otherwise authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sale for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours for a one hundred-fifty dollars filing and one-day permit fee, or an annual fifty-two week temporary permit for a three thousand dollars per year fee. These permits can apply to any day of the week, including Sunday. This Public Referendum was approved by Ordinance No. 2008-39 by the City Council of the City of Florence on the 14th Day of August, 2008 to be on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot for voters in the City of Florence.
CITY OF LAKE CITY REFERENDUM
Shall the South Carolina Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in the City of Lake City, South Carolina for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales and to allow the sale of beer and wine at permitted off-premises locations without regard to the days or hours of sales?
A "yes" vote would authorize the South Carolina Department of Revenue to issue temporary permits to nonprofit organizations and business establishments, authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales, within the City of Lake City to allow possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink and sale of beer and wine at permitted locations on any day of the week, including Sunday.
A "no" vote would not authorize the South Carolina Department of Revenue to issue temporary permits for consumption-on-premises sales to nonprofit organizations or business establishments within the City of Lake City for possession, sale, or consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink nor allow the sale of beer and wine on Sunday.
Explanation of above:
The South Carolina Department of Revenue is authorized to issue temporary permits to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments, authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours for a one hundred-fifty dollars filing and one-day permit fee, or an annual fifty-two week temporary permit for a three thousand dollars per year fee. These permits can apply to any day of the week, including Sunday. This Public Referendum was approved by Ordinance No. 2008.305 by the City Council of the City of Lake City on the 14th Day of August, 2008 to be on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot for voters in the City of Lake City.
MARLBORO COUNTY LOCAL QUESTION 1
Shall the Board of Education of the School District of Marlboro County, South Carolina (the "School District") be empowered to issue, at one time or from time to time, general obligation bonds of the School District, in a principal amount of not exceeding $18,000,000, the proceeds of which shall be used to construct and equip a new school facility, including the cost of the acquisition of land whereon to construct such school facility?
In favor of the question/Yes
Opposed to the question/No
