Bill Text: NC S656 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Electoral Freedom Act of 2017
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-10-17 - Ch. SL 2017-214 [S656 Detail]
Download: North_Carolina-2017-S656-Introduced.html
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2017
S D
SENATE BILL DRS45399-LU-87 (03/17)
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Short Title: Electoral Freedom Act of 2017. |
(Public) |
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Sponsors: |
Senator Brock (Primary Sponsor). |
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Referred to: |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to change the definition of a "political party" by reducing the number of signatures required for the formation of a new political party and for unaffiliated candidates to obtain ballot access eligibility.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 163‑96(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a) Definition. – A political party within the meaning of the election laws of this State shall be either:
(1) Any group of voters which, at the last preceding general State election, polled for its candidate for Governor, or for presidential electors, at least two percent (2%) of the entire vote cast in the State for Governor or for presidential electors; or
(2) Any group of voters which
shall have filed with the State Board of Elections petitions for the
formulation of a new political party which are signed by at least 10,000 registered
and qualified voters in this State equal in number to two percent (2%) of
the total number of voters who voted in the most recent general election for
Governor. State. Also the petition must be signed by at least 200
registered voters from each of four three congressional districts
in North Carolina. To be effective, the petitioners must file their petitions
with the State Board of Elections before 12:00 noon on the first day of June
preceding the day on which is to be held the first general State election in
which the new political party desires to participate. The State Board of
Elections shall forthwith determine the sufficiency of petitions filed with it
and shall immediately communicate its determination to the State chairman of
the proposed new political party."
SECTION 2. G.S. 163‑122(a), as amended by Section 10 of S.L. 2017‑3, reads as rewritten:
"(a) Procedure for Having Name Printed on Ballot as Unaffiliated Candidate. – Any qualified voter who seeks to have the voter's name printed on the general election ballot as an unaffiliated candidate shall:
(1) If the office is a
statewide office, file written petitions with the State Board of Elections
supporting the voter's candidacy for a specified office. These petitions must
be filed with the State Board of Elections on or before 12:00 noon on the
second Wednesday prior to the primary election and must be signed by at
least 5,000 qualified voters of the State equal in number to two percent
(2%) of the total number of voters who voted in the most recent general
election for Governor.State. Also, the petition must be signed by at
least 200 registered voters from each of four at least three congressional
districts in North Carolina. The petitions shall be divided into sections based
on the county in which the signatures were obtained. Provided the petitions are
timely filed, the State Board of Elections shall require the filed petition be
verified no later than 15 business days after canvass of the primary in one of
the following ways:
a. The Executive Director shall examine the names on the petition and place a check mark on the petition by the name of each signer who is qualified and registered to vote in the designated county and shall attach to the petition a signed certificate. Said certificates shall state that the signatures on the petition have been checked against the registration records and shall indicate the number of signers to be qualified and registered to vote in each county.
b. The chair shall examine the names on the petition and place a check mark on the petition by the name of each signer who is qualified and registered to vote in the chair's county and shall attach to the petition the chair's signed certificate. Said certificates shall state that the signatures on the petition have been checked against the registration records and shall indicate the number of signers to be qualified and registered to vote in the chair's county. The chair shall return the petition and certificate to the State Board.
The State Board shall return a copy of each petition, together with a copy of the certificate required in this section, to the person who presented it to the State Board.
(2) Except as provided in
this subsection, if the office is a district office under the jurisdiction of
the State Board of Elections under G.S. 163‑182.4(b), file written
petitions with the State Board of Elections supporting that voter's candidacy
for a specified office. These petitions must be filed with the State Board of
Elections on or before 12:00 noon on the second Wednesday prior to the primary
election and must be signed by qualified voters of the district equal in number
to four three percent (4%)(3%) of the total number
of registered voters in the district as reflected by the voter registration
records of the State Board of Elections as of January 1 of the year in which
the general election is to be held. The petitions shall be divided into
sections based on the county in which the signatures were obtained. The
petitions shall be verified as specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3) If the office is a county
office or a single county legislative district, file written petitions with the
chair or director of the county board of elections supporting the voter's
candidacy for a specified county office. These petitions must be filed with the
county board of elections on or before 12:00 noon on the second Wednesday prior
to the primary election and must be signed by qualified voters of the county
equal in number to four three percent (4%)(3%) of
the total number of registered voters in the county as reflected by the voter
registration records of the State Board of Elections as of January 1 of the
year in which the general election is to be held, except if the office is for a
district consisting of less than the entire county and only the voters in that
district vote for that office, the petitions must be signed by qualified voters
of the district equal in number to four three percent (4%)(3%)
of the total number of voters in the district according to the voter
registration records of the State Board of Elections as of January 1 of the
year in which the general election is to be held. Each petition shall be
presented to the chairman or director of the county board of elections. The
chair or director of the county board of elections shall verify the filed
petition no later than 15 business days after canvass as provided in sub‑subdivision
b. of subdivision (1) of this subsection, and shall return a copy of each
petition, together with a copy of the certificate required in this section, to
the person who presented it to the county board of elections.
(4) If the office is a partisan municipal office, file written petitions with the chair or director of the county board of elections in the county wherein the municipality is located supporting the voter's candidacy for a specified municipal office. These petitions must be filed with the county board of elections on or before the time and date specified in G.S. 163‑296 and must be signed by the number of qualified voters specified in G.S. 163‑296. The chair or director of the county board of elections shall verify the filed petition no later than 15 business days after canvass as provided in sub‑subdivision b. of subdivision (1) of this subsection, and shall return a copy of each petition, together with a copy of the certificate required in this section, to the person who presented it to the county board of elections.
(5) If the office is a superior court judge or a district court judge, regardless of whether the district lies entirely in one county or in more than one county, file written petitions with the State Board of Elections supporting that voter's candidacy for a specified office. These petitions must be filed with the State Board of Elections on or before 12:00 noon on the second Wednesday prior to the primary election and must be signed by qualified voters of the district equal in number to two percent (2%) of the total number of registered voters in the district as reflected by the voter registration records of the State Board of Elections as of January 1 of the year in which the general election is to be held. The petitions shall be divided into sections based on the county in which the signatures were obtained. The petitions shall be verified as specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
Upon compliance with the provisions of subdivisions (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this subsection, the board of elections with which the petitions have been timely filed shall cause the unaffiliated candidate's name to be printed on the general election ballots in accordance with Article 14A of this Chapter."
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective January 1, 2018, and applies to all primaries and elections held on or after that date.
