Chapter 163

The phrases "county board of elections," and "chairman of the board of elections" as used in this Article, with respect to all municipal primaries and elections, shall mean the county board of elections and its chairman in all municipalities. The words "general election," as used…

(a) The ballots printed for use in general and special elections under the provisions of this Article shall contain: (1) The names of all candidates who have been put in nomination in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter by any political party recognized in this State, …

Special elections shall be called as permitted by law and conducted in accordance with G.S. 163-287. (2013-381, s. 10.2; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

(a) In every county of the State there shall be a county board of elections, which may be referred to as "county board" in this Chapter. Each county board shall consist of five persons of good moral character who are registered voters in the county in which they are to act. Four …

Within nine days after a primary or election is held in any municipality, the chairman of the county board of elections shall mail to the chairman of the State Board of Elections, the duplicate abstract prepared in accordance with G.S. 163-182.6. One copy shall be retained by the…

Not earlier than five days nor later than 10 days after the results of any municipal election have been officially determined and published in accordance with G.S. 163-182.5, the chairman of the county board of elections shall issue certificates of election, under the hand and se…

(a) In any municipal election, including a primary or general election or referendum, mail-in absentee voting and early voting may, upon resolution of the municipal governing body, be permitted. Such resolution must be adopted no later than 60 days prior to an election in order t…

Authority and Duty of State Board. - The State Board of Elections shall have the same authority over municipal elections as it has over county and State elections. The State Board of Elections shall advise and assist cities, towns, incorporated villages and special districts, the…

All elections, and the results thereof, previously held in and for any municipality, special district, or school administrative unit pursuant to Subchapter IX, Chapter 163, are hereby validated. (1973, c. 492, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

Newly elected mayors and councilmen (members of the governing body) shall take office as prescribed by G.S. 160A-68. (1973, c. 866; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

(a) In each county of the State the members of the county board of elections shall meet at the courthouse or board office at noon on the Tuesday following the third Monday in July in the year of their appointment and, after taking the oath of office provided in G.S. 163-30, they …

In full compensation of their services, members of the county board of elections (including the chairman) shall be paid by the county twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per meeting for the time they are actually engaged in the discharge of their duties, together with reimbursement of e…

The county boards of elections within their respective jurisdictions shall exercise all powers granted to such boards in this Chapter, and they shall perform all the duties imposed upon them by law, which shall include the following: (1) To make and issue such rules, regulations,…

The chairman of the county board of elections is authorized to administer to election officials specified in Articles 4, 5, and 20 of this Chapter the required oath, and may also administer the required oath to witnesses appearing before the county board at a duly called public h…

Prior to each primary and general election the chairman and members of the county board of elections, in counties where voting machines are used, shall test vote, in a reasonable number of combinations, no less than ten percent (10%) of all voting machines programmed for each pri…

At the time an individual files with a county board of elections a notice of candidacy pursuant to G.S. 163-106, 163-112, 163-291, or 163-294.2, is certified to a county board of elections by a political party executive committee to fill a nomination vacancy pursuant to G.S. 163-…

Each county board of elections shall possess full power to maintain order, and to enforce obedience to its lawful commands during its sessions, and shall be constituted an inferior court for that purpose. If any person shall refuse to obey the lawful commands of any county board …

(a) In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of county director of elections in any of the county boards of elections in this State, the county board of elections shall submit the name of the person it recommends to fill the vacancy, in accordance with provisions specified in …

(a) The county board of elections may, by petition signed by a majority of the board, recommend to the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections the termination of the employment of the county board's director of elections. The petition shall clearly state the reasons fo…

The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules permitting counties that have fewer than 6,501 registered voters to operate a modified full-time elections office to the extent that the operation of a full-time office is not necessary. Nothing in this section shall preclude an…

(a) 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. (b) County boards of commissioners shall …

(a) As used in this section, the term "current or prospective employee" means a current or prospective permanent or temporary employee of a county board of elections who has or will have access to the statewide computerized voter registration system maintained under G.S. 163-82.1…

This Article applies to members and employees of the State Board of Elections and of each county board of elections. With regard to prohibitions in this Article concerning candidates, referenda, and committees, the prohibitions do not apply if the candidate or referendum will not…

No individual subject to this Article shall: (1) Make written or oral statements intended for general distribution or dissemination to the public at large supporting or opposing the nomination or election of one or more clearly identified candidates for public office. (2) Make wr…

A violation of this Article may be a ground to remove a State Board of Elections member under G.S. 143B-16 or a county board of elections member under G.S. 163-22(c). A violation of this Article may be a ground for dismissal of an employee of the State Board of Elections or of a …

The provisions of Article 22A of this Chapter apply to the definition and proof of terms used in this Article. (2000-114, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

(a) Appointment of Chief Judge and Judges. - At the meeting required by G.S. 163-31 to be held on the Tuesday following the third Monday in August of the year in which they are appointed, the county board of elections shall appoint one person to act as chief judge and two other p…

(a) The following categories of relatives are prohibited from serving as precinct officials of the same precinct: spouse, child, spouse of a child, sister or brother. (b) No precinct official who is the wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister of any candid…

(a) No employer may discharge or demote any employee because the employee has been appointed as a precinct official and is serving as a precinct official on election day or canvass day. (b) An employee discharged or demoted in violation of this section shall be entitled to be rei…

(a) Each county board of elections is authorized, in its discretion, to appoint two or more assistants for each precinct to aid the chief judge and judges. Not more than two assistants shall be appointed in precincts having 500 or less registered voters. Assistants shall be quali…

A student of at least 17 years of age at the time of any election or primary in which the student works shall be eligible to be appointed as a student election assistant. To be eligible a student must have all the following qualifications: (1) Be a United States citizen. (2) Be a…

The county board of elections of any county may authorize the use of precinct ballot counters to aid the chief judges and judges of election in the counting of ballots in any precinct or precincts within the county. The county board of elections shall appoint the ballot counters …

Repealed by Session Laws 2023-140, s. 7(a), effective January 1, 2024, and applicable to elections on or after that date.

(a) For purposes of this section, "observer" is defined as an individual appointed pursuant to this section to observe the voting process at a voting place. (b) Observers may be appointed in accordance with the following: (1) The chair of each political party in the county may de…

(a) The chair of a county political party may send a runner to obtain copies of the list of persons who have voted at each voting place during the times the voting place is open for voting. The chair of a county political party shall provide a written list of the runners to be us…

The precinct chief judge shall be paid the state minimum wage for his services on the day of a primary, special or general election. Judges of election shall each be paid the state minimum wage for their services on the day of a primary, special or general election. Assistants, a…

(a) The chief judges and judges of election shall conduct the primaries and elections within their respective precincts fairly and impartially, and they shall enforce peace and good order in and about the place of registration and voting. The county boards of elections shall ensu…

The chief judge and judges of election shall enforce peace and good order in and about the place of registration and voting. They shall especially keep open and unobstructed the place at which voters or persons seeking to register or vote have access to the place of registration …

Article 6. Qualifications of Voters.

Only such persons as are legally registered shall be entitled to vote in any primary or election held under this Chapter. (1901, c. 89, s. 12; Rev., s. 4317; C.S., s. 5938; 1967, c. 775, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

(a) Residence Period for State Elections. - Every person born in the United States, and every person who has been naturalized, and who shall have resided in the State of North Carolina and in the precinct in which the person offers to vote for 30 days next preceding an election, …

All election officials in determining the residence of a person offering to register or vote, shall be governed by the following rules, so far as they may apply: (1) That place shall be considered the residence of a person in which that person's habitation is fixed, and to which,…

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…

If the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor shall become vacant, the provisions of G.S. 147-11.1 shall apply. If the office of any of the following officers shall be vacated by death, resignation, or otherwise than by expiration of term, it shall be the duty of the Governor …

(a) Prerequisite to Voting. - No person shall be permitted to vote who has not been registered under the provisions of this Article or registered as previously provided by law. (b) County Board's Duty to Register. - A county board of elections shall register, in accordance with t…

(a) Official Record. - The State voter registration system is the official voter registration list for the conduct of all elections in the State. The State Board and the county board of elections may keep copies of voter registration data, including voter registration application…

The statewide voter registration system shall assign to each voter a unique registration number. That number shall be permanent for that voter and shall not be changed or reassigned by the county board of elections. (2001-319, s. 8.1(a); 2003-226, s. 10; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s…

Boards of elections shall keep confidential the date of birth of every voter-registration applicant and registered voter, except in the following situations: (1) When a voter has filed notice of candidacy for elective office under G.S. 163-106, 163-122, 163-123, or 163-294.2, has…

(a) Statewide System as Official List. - The State Board of Elections shall develop and implement a statewide computerized voter registration system to facilitate voter registration and to provide a central database containing voter registration information for each county. The s…

The State Board of Elections shall make all guidelines necessary to administer the statewide voter registration system established by this Article. All county boards of elections shall follow these guidelines and cooperate with the State Board of Elections in implementing guideli…