South Carolina § 5-15-40 Terms of office of mayor and councilmen.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 5-15-40 — Terms of office of mayor and councilmen.

South Carolina § 5-15-40

Title 5MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS

Ch. 15NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICES

This text of South Carolina § 5-15-40 (Terms of office of mayor and councilmen.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 5-15-40 (2026).

Text

The mayor and councilmen of each municipality shall be elected for terms of two or four years. Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, four-year terms shall be set so that not more than one-half of the council and mayor shall be elected in the same general election; provided, that in the first election after incorporation of a new municipality or adoption of a form of government pursuant to SECTION 5-5-10, one-half of the councilmen may be elected for terms of two years and one-half of the councilmen and mayor may be elected for terms of four years if necessary to establish staggered terms. Two-year terms shall not be staggered.

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The mayor and councilmen of each municipality shall be elected for terms of two or four years. Unless otherwise provided by ordinance, four-year terms shall be set so that not more than one-half of the council and mayor shall be elected in the same general election; provided, that in the first election after incorporation of a new municipality or adoption of a form of government pursuant to SECTION 5-5-10, one-half of the councilmen may be elected for terms of two years and one-half of the councilmen and mayor may be elected for terms of four years if necessary to establish staggered terms. Two-year terms shall not be staggered.