Public Notice Guide: Elections

Additional days and hours for registration; notice of time and place
7-5-140

Boards shall remain open any additional days for registration as the boards sees necessary provided by law. Notice of the hours and the place shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the county prior to these days.

Section
Notice
Where
When
7-5-140
A notice of the time and place of the additional days or hours for registration of an election
A newspaper of general circulation in the county
Prior to these additional days

Exact wording:

“Boards of registration shall remain open as provided by law and, in addition thereto, shall remain open and available for registration an any additional days, during such hours and at such various places throughout the county as the boards may determine. Such boards also shall remain open and available for absentee registration and absentee voting responsibilities during such additional hours as the boards may deem necessary. Notice of the time and place shall be given by prior publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.”

Pooling precincts in municipal elections
7-7-1000

During a municipal election a notice of the location of all voting precincts (even those pooled) must be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the municipality.

This must be published on the day or closest to the day for newspapers that are not published daily.

Section
Notice
Where
When
7-7-1000
A notice of the location of all voting precincts
A newspaper with a general circulation in the area (municipality)
The day of the election or closest and before the day of the election for newspapers that are not published daily

Exact wording:

“…the location of voting places for all precincts including those pooled must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality on the day of the election. If the newspaper is not published daily, then it should be published on the date of publication nearest and prior to the date of the election.”

Party Organizations/Meetings

County conventions; notice, time and delegates
7-9-70

Public notices for both the reorganization and a reconvened convention must be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the county at least two consecutive weeks but not more than three nor less than two weeks before the convention. The notices must contain the date, time and location of these conventions.

Section
Notice
Where
When
7-9-70
Public notices of county conventions. The date, time and location.
A newspaper with a general circulation in the county
Two consecutive weeks but no more than three and not less than two weeks prior to the date

Exact wording:

“…The date, time and location that the county convention must be reconvened during the general election year to nominate candidates for public office to be filled in the general election must be set by county committee. Notices, both for the convention to be held for reorganization and for the reconvened convention to nominate candidates, must be published by the county committee, once a week for two consecutive weeks, not more than three nor less than two weeks, before the day in a newspaper having general circulation in the county.”

Notice of general, municipal, special, and primary elections
7-13-35

When conducting such elections two notices must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the area. The first notice must be at least sixty days before the election, with the second notice following no more than two weeks after the first notice. It must include the date, time and location of all hearings that surround the issues on the ballots in the election, the last day people can register to vote in this election, the list and location of all precincts and their polling places that are involved in the election and the notification that the absentee ballots are being taken care of.

Section
Notice
Where
When
7-13-35
Two notices of an election of general, municipal, special and primary elections
A newspaper with a general circulation in the county or municipality
The first notice must be at least sixty days before the election, with the second notice following no more than two weeks after the first notice

Exact wording:

“The authority charged by law with conducting an election must publish two notices of general, municipal, special, and primary elections held in the county in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or municipality, as appropriate. Included in each notice must be a reminder of the last day persons may register to be eligible to vote in the election for which the notice is given, notification of the date, time, and location of the hearing on ballots challenged in the election, a list of the precincts involved in the election, the location of the polling places in each of the precincts, and notification that the process of examining the return-addressed envelopes containing absentee ballots may begin at 2:00 p.m. on election day at a place designated in the notice by the authority charged with conducting the election. The first notice must appear not later than sixty days before the election and the second notice must appear not later than two weeks after the first notice.”

Find out more about public notices

SCPA offers a compendium of public notice/legal advertising laws including exact wording and details on when and where an ad has to be run. Organized by topic, this resource is the best way to navigate our state’s public notice laws.