GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1072

Short Title:  Voter Reg. Cleanup.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Alexander; and Bonner (Primary Sponsors).

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Referred to:  Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform.

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April 15, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS IN THE VOTER REGISTRATION LAWS AND OTHER ELECTION LAWS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 163-22(e) reads as rewritten:
"(e)	The State Board of Elections shall determine, in the manner provided by law, the form and content of ballots, instruction sheets, pollbooks, talley sheets, abstract and return forms, certificates of election, and other forms to be used in primaries and elections.  The Board shall furnish to the county boards of elections the registration application forms required pursuant to G.S. 163-82.3.  The State Board of Elections shall direct the county boards of elections to purchase a sufficient quantity of all forms attendant to the registration and elections process.  In addition, the State Board shall provide a source of supply from which the county boards of elections may purchase the quantity of pollbooks needed for the execution of its responsibilities.  In the preparation of ballots, pollbooks, abstract and return forms, and all other forms, the State Board of Elections may call to its aid the Attorney General of the State, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to advise and aid in the preparation of these books, ballots and forms."
Section 2.  Article 4 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 163-37.  Duty of county board of commissioners.
The respective boards of county commissioners shall appropriate reasonable and adequate funds necessary for the legal functions of the county board of elections, including reasonable and just compensation of the director of elections."
Section 3.  Article 12 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 163-131.  Accessible polling places.
(a)	The State Board  of Elections shall promulgate rules to assure that any disabled or elderly voter assigned to an inaccessible polling place, upon  advance request of such voter, will be assigned to an accessible polling place.  Such rules should allow the request to be made in  advance of the day of the election.
(b)	Words in this section have the meanings prescribed by P.L. 98-435, except that the term ‘disabled' in this section has the same meaning as ‘handicapped' in P.L. 98-435."
Section 4.  G.S. 163-213.2 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163-213.2.  Primary to be held; date; qualifications and registration of voters.
On the Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1992, and every four years thereafter, the voters of this State shall be given an opportunity to express their preference for the person to be the presidential candidate of their political party.
Any person otherwise qualified who will become qualified by age to vote in the general election held in the same year of the presidential preference primary shall be entitled to register and vote in the presidential preference primary.  Such persons may register not earlier than 60 days nor later than the last day for making application to register under G.S. 163-82.6 prior to the said primary.  In addition, persons who will become qualified by age to register and vote in the general election for which the primary is held, who do not register during the special period may register to vote after such period as if they were qualified on the basis of age, but until they are qualified by age to vote, they may vote only in primary elections.”
Section 5.  G.S. 163-253 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163-253.  Article inapplicable to persons after change of status; reregistration required.
Upon discharge from the armed forces of the United States or termination of any other status qualifying him to register and vote by absentee ballot under the provisions of this Article, the voter shall not be entitled to vote by military absentee ballot, and if he was registered under the provisions of this Article his registration shall become void and he shall be required to register under the provisions of Article 7A before being entitled to vote in any primary or election."
Section 6.  G.S. 163-254 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163-254.  Registration and voting on primary or election day.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, any person entitled to vote an absentee ballot pursuant to G.S. 163-245 shall be permitted to register in person at any time including the day of a primary or election.  Should such person's eligibility to register or vote as provided in G.S. 163-245 terminate after the twenty-fifth day prior to a primary or election, such person, if he appears in person, shall be entitled to register if otherwise qualified after the twenty-fifth day before the primary or election, or on the primary or election day, and shall be permitted to vote if such person is otherwise qualified."
Section 7.  This act is effective when it becomes law.