Chapter 163

The disclosure requirements of this Part apply to any sponsor of an advertisement in the print media or on radio or television the cost or value of which constitutes an expenditure or contribution required to be disclosed under this Article, except that the disclosure requirement…

When used in this Part, words and phrases have the same meaning as in G.S. 163-278.6, except that: (1) The term "board" means the county board of elections; [and] (2) The term "city" means any incorporated city, town, or village. (1981, c. 837, s. 3; 1997-515, s. 4(d); 2017-6, s.…

(a) Each candidate and political committee in a city election shall appoint a treasurer and, under verification, report the name and address of the treasurer to the board. A candidate may appoint himself or any other individual, including any relative except his spouse, as his tr…

In any city election conducted on a partisan basis in accordance with G.S. 163-279(a)(2) and G.S. 163-291, the following reports shall be filed in addition to the organizational report: (1) Thirty-five-day Report. - The treasurer shall file a report with the board 35 days before …

If any city election conducted under the nonpartisan election and runoff basis in accordance with G.S. 163-279(a)(4) and [G.S.] 163-293, the following reports shall be filed in addition to the organizational report: (1) Thirty-five-day Report. - The treasurer shall file a report …

In any city election conducted under the nonpartisan primary method in accordance with G.S. 163-279(a)(3) and G.S. 163-294, the following reports shall be filed in addition to the organizational report: (1) Thirty-five-day Report. - The treasurer shall file a report with the boar…

In any city election conducted under the nonpartisan plurality method under G.S. 163-279(a)(1) and [G.S.] 163-292, the following reports shall be filed in addition to the organizational report: (1) Thirty-five-day Report. - The treasurer shall file a report with the board 35 days…

Forms of reports under this Part shall be prescribed by the board. (1981, c. 837, s. 3; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

Except as otherwise provided in this Part, each report shall be current within seven days prior to the date the report is due and shall list all contributions received and expenditures made which have not been previously reported. (1981, c. 837, s. 3; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3…

The director of the board shall advise, or cause to be advised, no less than five days nor more than 15 days before each report is due each candidate or treasurer whose organizational report has been filed under G.S. 163-278.40A of the specific date each report is due. The direct…

(a) Except as provided in this Part or in G.S. 163-278.9(c), the provisions of Part 1 shall apply to municipal elections covered by this Part. (b) G.S. 63-278.7, 163-278.9(a) and (b), 163-278.22(1) and (9), the first paragraph of 163-278.23, 163-278.24, 163-278.26, and 163-278.26…

A candidate or political committee that appoints a treasurer under G.S. 163-278.7 shall make reports according to the schedule under this Part if it makes contributions or expenditures concerning municipal elections. (2008-150, s. 9(a); 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).) Ar…

The provisions of this Article apply to primaries and elections for North Carolina offices and to North Carolina referenda and do not apply to primaries and elections for federal offices or offices in other States or to non-North Carolina referenda. Any provision in this Article …

When used in this Article: (1) The term "affiliated party committee" means a General Assembly affiliated party committee as established by G.S. 163-278.8B or Council of State affiliated party committee as established by G.S. 163-278.8C. (3) The term "board" means the State Board …

(a) Judicial Voter Guide. - The State Board shall publish a Judicial Voter Guide that explains the functions of the appellate courts and the laws concerning the election of appellate judges, the purpose and function of the Public Campaign Fund, and the laws concerning voter regis…

(a) Each candidate who has received funds or made payments or given consent for anyone else to receive funds or transfer anything of value for the purpose of bringing about that individual's nomination or election for office, political committee, and referendum committee shall ap…

(a) Except as limited or otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, it shall be permissible for a federal political committee organized pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act and its regulations to make contributions to a North Carolina candidate or political co…

(a) The treasurer of each candidate, political committee, and referendum committee shall keep detailed accounts, current within not more than seven days after the date of receiving a contribution or making an expenditure, of all contributions received and all expenditures made by…

(a) Exempt Purchase Price Not Treated as "Contribution." - Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 163-278.6(13), the purchase price of goods or services sold by a political party executive committee or affiliated party committee as provided in subsection (b) of this section shall…

(a) Each political party caucus of the North Carolina House of Representatives and the North Carolina Senate may establish one separate affiliated party committee to support the election of candidates who would be eligible to be members of that caucus. No other affiliated party c…

(a) Members of the Council of State affiliated with the same political party may establish one separate Council of State affiliated party committee to support the election of candidates who would be eligible to be nominees of that political party for Council of State offices. No …

(a) Except as provided in G.S. 163-278.10A, the treasurer of each candidate and of each political committee shall file with the Board under certification of the treasurer as true and correct to the best of the knowledge of that officer the following reports: (1) Organizational Re…

(See Editor's note for contingent repeal) Relationship to the Judicial Voter Guide. - The State Board may publish the Voter Guide in conjunction with the Judicial Voter Guide described in G.S. 163-278.69. (2007-391, s. 4(b); 2007-484, s. 43.8(c); 2007-540, s. 1; 2008-187, s. 33(a…

(a) The treasurer of each referendum committee shall file under verification with the Board the following reports: (1) Organizational Report. - The appointment of the treasurer as required by G.S. 163-278.7(a), the statement of organization required by G.S. 163-278.7(b), and a re…

(a) Primaries and elections for offices filled by election of the people in cities, towns, incorporated villages, and special districts shall be held in 1973 and every two or four years thereafter as provided by municipal charter on the following days: (1) If the election is nonp…

The rules for determining residency within a municipality shall be the same as prescribed in G.S. 163-57 for determining county residency. No person shall be entitled to reside in more than one city or town at the same time. (1971, c. 835, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a),…

No person shall be entitled to vote or otherwise participate in the primary election of any political party unless that person complies with all of the following: (1) Is a registered voter. (2) Has declared and has had recorded on the registration book or record the fact that the…

Any person who will become qualified by age to register and vote in the general election for which a nonpartisan primary is held, even though not so qualified by the date of the primary, shall be entitled to register for the primary and general election prior to the primary and t…

The registration of voters and the conduct of all elections in municipalities and special districts shall be under the authority of the county board of elections. Any contested election or allegations of irregularities shall be made to the county board of elections and appeals fr…

All elections held in and for a sanitary district, fire district or other special district, including school administrative units, shall be conducted by the county board of elections notwithstanding the fact that the taxes of the special district may be levied by a city. (1971, c…

To the extent that the laws, rules and procedures applicable to the conduct of primary, general and special elections by county boards of elections under Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19 and 22 of this Chapter are not inconsistent with provisions of this Article, tho…

(a) Any county, municipality, or any special district shall have authority to call special elections as permitted by law. Prior to calling a special election, the governing body of the county, municipality, or special district shall adopt a resolution specifying the details of th…

The registration record of the county board of elections shall be the official registration record for voters to vote in all elections, city, district, county, State or national. (1971, c. 835, s. 1; 1973, c. 793, s. 87; 1981, c. 33, s. 5; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1032, s. 7; …

(a) Whenever any new city or special district is incorporated or whenever an existing city or district annexes any territory, the city or special district shall cause a map of the corporate or district limits to be prepared from the boundary descriptions in the act, charter or ot…

Whenever a city has not held the most recent two elections required by its charter or this Chapter, and the General Assembly amends the charter of that city and provides that the county board of elections shall conduct the elections of that city, voters shall be activated for the…

(a) Whenever the General Assembly incorporates a new city and provides in the act of incorporation for a referendum on the question of incorporation or for a special election for town officials or for both, or whenever an existing city or special district annexes new territory un…

Whenever a referendum or election is held on the question of incorporation of a new municipality or the formation of a special district, the cost of the election shall be paid by the new municipality or special district in the event the voters approve of incorporation or creation…

(a) The rules governing challenges in municipal elections shall be the same as are now applicable to challenges made in a county election, provided however, any voter who challenges another voter's right to vote in any municipal or special district election must reside in such mu…

(a) Each city, town, village, and special district in this State shall operate under one of the following alternative methods of nominating candidates for and determining the results of its elections: (1) The partisan primary and election method set out in G.S. 163-291. (2) The n…

The nomination of candidates for office in cities, towns, villages, and special districts whose elections are conducted on a partisan basis shall be governed by the provisions of this Chapter applicable to the nomination of county officers, and the terms "county board of election…

In conducting nonpartisan elections and using the plurality method, elections shall be determined in accordance with the following rules: (1) When more than one person is seeking election to a single office, the candidate who receives the highest number of votes shall be declared…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, nonpartisan municipal elections in cities using the election and runoff election method shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast. A majority within the meaning of this section shall be determined as follows: (1) When mo…

(a) In cities whose elections are nonpartisan and who use the nonpartisan primary and election method, there shall be a primary to narrow the field of candidates to two candidates for each position to be filled if, when the filing period closes, there are more than two candidates…

(a) This section shall apply only to municipal and special district elections. (b) If a candidate for political party nomination for office dies, becomes disqualified, or withdraws before the primary but after the ballots have been printed, the provisions of G.S. 163-112 shall go…

(a) Each person offering himself as a candidate for election to any municipal office in municipalities whose elections are nonpartisan shall do so by filing a notice of candidacy with the board of elections in the following form, inserting the words in parentheses when appropriat…

Each candidate for municipal office in nonpartisan municipal elections shall be voted upon, even though only one candidate has filed or has been nominated for a given office, in order that the voters may have the opportunity to cast write-in votes under the general election laws.…

(a) If in a nonpartisan municipal election, when the filing period expires, candidates have not filed for all offices to be filled, the board of elections may extend the filing period for five days. (b) If at the time the filing period closes only two persons have filed notice of…

To the extent that the laws, rules and procedures applicable to the conduct of primary, general or special elections by county boards of elections under Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 8, 9, 10, 11, 11B, 12, 19 and 22 of this Chapter are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Arti…

In cities conducting partisan elections, any qualified voter who seeks to have his name printed on the regular municipal election ballot as an unaffiliated candidate may do so in the manner provided in G.S. 163-122, except that the petitions and affidavits shall be filed not late…

Precincts in which municipal primaries and elections are conducted shall conform, in all regards, to the requirements stipulated in G.S. 163-129 and all other provisions contained in this Chapter relating to county and State elections. (1971, c. 835, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146,…