SC GOP announces plans to file a federal lawsuit to close primaries

• The South Carolina Republican Party intends to file a federal lawsuit to close the state’s primary elections.
• This legal action would require voters to register with a political party to participate in its primary.
• Currently, South Carolina has open primaries, allowing any registered voter to choose which party’s primary to vote in.

The South Carolina Republican Party is planning to file a federal lawsuit to change the state’s primary voting process and require voters to register to a political party.

South Carolina voters do not have to register by political party, and are able to vote in either political party’s primary. State Republican lawmakers have pushed for legislation to close the state’s primary elections, but they have been unsuccessful in passing it.

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South Carolina Republican Party leadership held a press conference at the statehouse in Columbia on May 12 to announce the new lawsuit related to closed primaries and required partisan voter registration.

SCGOP Chair Drew McKissick said that South Carolina political parties have the right under state law to define the terms of party membership and dictate who votes in their primaries. He said the law doesn’t offer the tool to enforce that policy.

“Many people who are not Republicans choose Republican nominees,” McKissick said. “That’s like allowing Carolina or Clemson fans to choose which players the other team puts on the field.”

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-District 5, is campaigning on closed primaries in his run for South Carolina governor. He said now is the time to institute closed primaries in South Carolina.

“I’m glad to see the party moving forward with it, and I look forward to having our day in court,” Norman said.

Last fall, the Republican Party of Texas filed a federal lawsuit against the state to close its primaries. The Texas Republican Party argued that the First Amendment gives political parties the right to determine who votes in their election.

Attorney General Alan Wilson offered his support to the South Carolina Republican Party as it takes up the lawsuit. The South Carolina Republican Party has not yet filed the suit, but McKissick said he expects the lawsuit to be filed shortly after the June 9 primary elections.

Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com