But when he takes office in January, Ravenel will be required to run things from his office, according to a 19th century law that says he must be at the treasurer's office six days a week for about five hours each day.

“It doesn’t sound like a very good law,” said Ravenel, adding he is likely to ask legislators to change it. “What if I’m meeting with a bond house in New York?”

The law, on the books since 1801, doesn’t give Ravenel much wiggle room: “The Treasurer shall keep open and attend in his office from nine o'clock in the morning until two in the afternoon every day, Sundays, public holidays and the two succeeding days to Christmas excepted.”

Outgoing Treasurer Grady Patterson, who lost to Ravenel last month, complies with the law most days and tends to work part of Saturday, although not in the office, his spokesman Trav Robertson said.

“I think with modern technology being what it is, that law could be modified,” Robertson said.

“It’s antiquated, to be sure,” said Burnie Maybank, a Columbia attorney and former state Revenue Department director who is advising Ravenel as he moves into the office.

But John Rainey, a frequent critic of Ravenel during his campaign against Patterson, said the state’s new treasurer needs to obey the law.

“Mr. Ravenel is going to take the oath to uphold the laws of the state. This is certainly one of them,” said Rainey, chairman of the state Board of Economic Advisors.

Ravenel isn’t the only one with office-hour restrictions. For instance, members of the state’s Public Service Commission can’t do any other work during regular business hours.

Rainey said the requirements show accountability and work ethic for public officials that should be seen in offices — not just heard from by phone or e-mail.

“The people of the state have a central location where they can find their public officials. That’s Columbia, S.C. — not the end of a forwarded telephone call or the Internet,” Rainey said.