Chapter 163

(a) Free Copy for Political Parties. - Beginning January 1, 1996, the State Board of Elections shall make available free of charge, upon written request, one magnetic copy of the statewide computerized voter registration file to the chairman of each political party as defined in …

(a) Requirement for List Maintenance. - In accordance with this section, the State Board and county boards of elections shall maintain the list of eligible voters in the State by providing for the following: (1) The removal of the names of ineligible voters from the official list…

(a) Registrant's Duty to Report. - No registered voter shall be required to re-register upon moving from one precinct to another within the same county. Instead, a registrant shall notify the county board of the change of address by the close of registration for an election as se…

When a boundary between counties is established by legislation or under G.S. 153A-18, the Executive Director shall direct the county boards of elections involved to administratively change the voter registration of any voter whose county of residence is altered by the establishme…

(a) Registrant's Duty to Report. - If the name of a registrant is changed in accordance with G.S. 48-1-104, G.S. 50-12, or Chapter 101 of the General Statutes, or if a married registrant assumes the last name of the registrant's spouse, the registrant shall not be required to re-…

(a) Registrant's Duty to Report. - Any registrant who desires to have the record of his party affiliation or unaffiliated status changed on the registration list shall, no later than the last day for making application to register under G.S. 163-82.6 before the election, indicate…

(a) Right to Appeal. - Any applicant who receives notice of denial of registration pursuant to G.S. 163-82.7 may appeal the denial within five days after receipt of the notice of denial. The county board of elections shall promptly set a date for a public hearing. The notice of a…

(a) Voter Registration at Drivers License Offices. - The Division of Motor Vehicles shall, pursuant to the rules adopted by the State Board of Elections, modify its forms so that any eligible person who applies for original issuance, renewal or correction of a drivers license, or…

The Executive Director of the State Board of Elections is the "Chief State Election Official" of North Carolina for purposes of P.L. 103-31, The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, subsequently referred to in this Article as the "National Voter Registration Act". As such the…

(a) Voter Registration Agencies. - Every office in this State which accepts: (1) Applications for a program of public assistance under Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes or under Article 13 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes; (2) Applications for State-funded …

The State Board of Elections, the Division of Prisons of the Department of Adult Correction, and the Administrative Office of the Courts shall jointly develop and implement educational programs and procedures for persons to apply to register to vote at the time they are restored …

The Executive Director, jointly with the Department of Defense, shall develop and implement procedures for persons to apply to register to vote at recruitment offices of the Armed Forces of the United States in compliance with section 7(c) of the National Voter Registration Act. …

(a) Every library covered by G.S. 153A-272 shall make available to the public the application forms described in G.S. 163-82.3, and shall keep a sufficient supply of the forms so that they are always available. Every library covered by G.S. 153A-272 shall designate at least one e…

Every public high school shall make available to its students and others who are eligible to register to vote the application forms described in G.S. 163-82.3, and shall keep a sufficient supply of the forms so that they are always available. A local board of education may, but i…

(a) Training. - The State Board of Elections shall conduct training programs in election law and procedures. Every county elections director shall receive training conducted by the State Board at least as often as required in the following schedule: (1) Once during each odd-numbe…

The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules necessary to implement the provisions of this Article. (1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 762, s. 2; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b); 2025-25, s. 29(6).)

As used in this Chapter, the term "Help America Vote Act of 2002" means the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666 (2002), codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 15481-15485. Citations to titles and sections of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 are as they appear in …

There is established a special fund to be known as the Election Fund. All funds received for implementation of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252, shall be deposited in that fund. The State Board of Elections shall use funds in the Election Fund only to impleme…

(a) Form Developed by State Board of Elections. - The State Board of Elections shall develop an application form for voter registration. Any person may use the form to apply to do any of the following: (1) Register to vote. (2) Change party affiliation or unaffiliated status. (3)…

(a) Information Requested of Applicant. - The form required by G.S. 163-82.3(a) shall request the applicant's: (1) Name, (2) Date of birth, (3) Residence address, (4) County of residence, (5) Date of application, (6) Gender, (7) Race, (8) Ethnicity, (9) Political party affiliatio…

The State Board of Elections shall make the forms described in G.S. 163-82.3 available for distribution through governmental and private entities, with particular emphasis on making them available for organized voter registration drives. (1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1044, s. 18(a…

(a) How the Form May Be Submitted. - The county board of elections shall accept any form described in G.S. 163-82.3 if the applicant submits the form by mail, facsimile transmission, transmission of a scanned document, or in person. The applicant may delegate the submission of th…

Change of Registration at Early Voting Site. - A person who is already registered to vote in the county may update the information in the registration record in accordance with procedures prescribed by the State Board, but an individual's party affiliation may not be changed duri…

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an individual who is qualified to register to vote may register in person and then vote at an early voting site in the individual's county of residence during the period for early voting provided under Part 5 of Article 14…

(a) Tentative Determination of Qualification. - When a county board of elections receives an application for registration submitted pursuant to G.S. 163-82.6, the board either: (1) Shall make a determination that the applicant is not qualified to vote at the address given, or (2)…

(a) Authority to Issue Card. - With the approval of the board of county commissioners, the county board of elections may issue to each voter in the county a voter registration card, or may issue cards to all voters registered after January 1, 1995. (b) Content and Format of Card.…

(a) The county board of elections shall, in accordance with this section, issue without charge voter photo identification cards upon request to registered voters. The voter photo identification cards shall contain a photograph of the registered voter, the name of the registered v…

If an applicant indicates on an application form described in G.S. 163-82.3 a current registration to vote in any other county, municipality, or state, the county board of elections, upon registering the person to vote, shall send a notice to the appropriate officials in the othe…

The registration records of each county shall be open to inspection by any registered voter of the State, including any chief judge or judge of elections, during the normal business hours of the county board of elections on the days when the board's office is open. At those times…

(a) Right to Challenge; When Challenge May Be Made. - Any registered voter of the county may challenge the right of any person to register, remain registered or vote in such county. No such challenge may be made after the twenty-fifth day before each primary, general, or special …

(a) A challenge made under G.S. 163-85 shall be heard and decided before the date of the next primary or election, except that if the board finds that because of the number of challenges, it cannot hold all hearings before the date of the election, it may order the challenges to …

On the day of a primary or election, or during the hours for early voting under Part 5 of Article 14A of this Chapter, at the time a registered voter offers to vote in person, any other registered voter of the county may exercise the right of challenge, and when the voter does so…

(a) A challenge entered on the day of a primary or election, or during the hours for early voting under Part 5 of Article 14A of this Chapter, shall be heard and decided by the chief judge and judges of election of the precinct or early voting site in which the challenged registr…

(a) If the decision of the chief judge and judges pursuant to G.S. 163-88 is to sustain the challenge, the challenged voter may request a challenged ballot by submitting an application to the chief judge, such application shall include as part thereof an affidavit that such perso…

(a) Time for Challenge. - The absentee ballot of any voter received by the county board of elections pursuant to G.S. 163-231(b)(1) may be challenged no later than 5:00 P.M. on the fifth business day after the primary or general election or county bond election. The absentee ball…

(a) The Governor shall appoint persons to fill vacancies occurring in the offices of Justice of the Supreme Court and judge of the Court of Appeals for causes other than expiration of term from a list of three qualified persons recommended by the political party executive committ…

If any registered voter is challenged as having been convicted of any crime which excludes him from the right of suffrage, he shall be required to answer any question in relation to the alleged conviction, but his answers to such questions shall not be used against him in any cri…

(a) Challenges shall not be made indiscriminately and may only be made if the challenger knows, suspects or reasonably believes such a person not to be qualified and entitled to vote. (b) No challenge shall be sustained unless the challenge is substantiated by affirmative proof. …

(a) When any challenge is sustained for any cause listed under G.S. 163-85(c), the board shall cancel or correct the voter registration of the voter. The board shall maintain such record for at least six months and during the pendency of any appeal. The challenged ballot shall be…

Any person who shall knowingly make any false affidavit or shall knowingly swear or affirm falsely to any matter or thing required by the terms of this Article to be sworn or affirmed shall be guilty of a Class I felony. (1979, c. 357, s. 4; 1987, c. 565, s. 2; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018…

(a) The State Board of Elections shall establish a complaint procedure as required by section 402 of Title IV of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 for the resolution of complaints alleging violations of Title III of that Act. (b), (c) Repealed by Session Laws 2018-146, s. 4.5(d),…

Political Parties.

(a) Definition. - A political party within the meaning of the election laws of this State shall be one of the following: (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 …

When any political party fails to meet the test set forth in G.S. 163-96(a)(1), it shall cease to be a political party within the meaning of the primary and general election laws and all other provisions of this Subchapter. (1901, c. 89, s. 85; Rev., s. 4292; C.S., s. 5913; 1933,…

The State Board of Elections shall be authorized to promulgate appropriate procedures to order the county boards of elections to change the registration affiliation of all voters who are recorded on the voter registration books as being affiliated with a political party which has…

In the first general election following the date on which a new political party qualifies under the provisions of G.S. 163-96, it shall be entitled to have the names of its candidates for national, State, congressional, and local offices printed on the official ballots upon payin…

The governing authority having control over schools or other public buildings which have facilities for group meetings, or where polling places are located, is hereby authorized and directed to permit the use of such buildings without charge, except custodial and utility fees, by…