North Carolina General Statutes — Chapter 163
419 sections. Sourced from ncleg.gov; each section links to its full text with case-law cross-references.
- § 163-1 Time of regular elections and primaries
- § 163-3 Special elections
- § 163-6 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-8 Filling vacancies in State executive offices
- § 163-9 Filling vacancies in State and district judicial offices
- § 163-10 Filling vacancy in office of district attorney
- § 163-11 Filling vacancies in the General Assembly
- § 163-12 Filling vacancy in United States Senate
- § 163-13 Filling vacancy in United States House of Representatives
- § 163-17 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-19 State Board of Elections; appointment; term of office; vacancies; oath of office
- § 163-20 Meetings of Board; quorum; minutes
- § 163-21 Compensation of Board members
- § 163-22 Powers and duties of State Board of Elections
- § 163-22.2 Power of State Board to promulgate temporary rules and regulations
- § 163-22.3 State Board of Elections littering notification
- § 163-23 Powers of chair in execution of Board duties
- § 163-24 Power of State Board of Elections to maintain order
- § 163-25 Authority of State Board to assist in litigation
- § 163-26 Executive Director of State Board of Elections
- § 163-27 Executive Director to be appointed by State Board
- § 163-27.1 Emergency powers
- § 163-27.2 Criminal history record checks of current and prospective employees of the State Board and county directors of elections
- § 163-28 Repealed by 2024-57, s. 3A.2(e), effective July 1, 2025
- § 163-30 County boards of elections; appointments; terms of office; qualifications; vacancies; oath of office; instructional meetings
- § 163-31 Meetings of county boards of elections; quorum; minutes
- § 163-32 Compensation of members of county boards of elections
- § 163-33 Powers and duties of county boards of elections
- § 163-33.1 Power of chairman to administer oaths
- § 163-33.2 Chairman and county board to examine voting machines
- § 163-33.3 County board of elections littering notification
- § 163-34 Power of county board of elections to maintain order
- § 163-35 Director of elections to county board of elections; appointment; compensation; duties; dismissal
- § 163-35.1 Termination of county director of elections; suspension
- § 163-36 Modified full-time offices
- § 163-37 Duty of county board of commissioners
- § 163-37.1 Criminal history record checks of current and prospective employees of county boards of elections
- § 163-38 Applicability of Article
- § 163-39 Limitation on political activities
- § 163-40 Violation may be ground for removal
- § 163-40.1 Definitions
- § 163-41 Precinct chief judges and judges of election; appointment; terms of office; qualifications; vacancies; oaths of office
- § 163-41.1 Certain relatives prohibited from serving together
- § 163-41.2 Discharge of precinct official unlawful
- § 163-42 Assistants at polls; appointment; term of office; qualifications; oath of office
- § 163-42.1 Student election assistants
- § 163-43 Ballot counters; appointment; qualifications; oath of office
- § 163-45.1 Observers
- § 163-45.2 Runners
- § 163-46 Compensation of precinct officials and assistants
- § 163-47 Powers and duties of chief judges and judges of election
- § 163-48 Maintenance of order at place of registration and voting
- § 163-52 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-54 Registration a prerequisite to voting
- § 163-55 Qualifications to vote; exclusion from electoral franchise
- § 163-57 Residence defined for registration and voting
- § 163-59 Right to participate or vote in party primary
- § 163-63 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-82.1 General principles of voter registration
- § 163-82.2 Chief State Election Official
- § 163-82.3 Voter registration application forms
- § 163-82.4 Contents of application form
- § 163-82.5 Distribution of application forms
- § 163-82.6 Acceptance of application forms
- § 163-82.6A Address and name changes at early voting sites
- § 163-82.6B Same-day registration
- § 163-82.7 Verification of qualifications and address of applicant; denial or approval of application
- § 163-82.8 Voter registration cards
- § 163-82.8A Voter photo identification cards
- § 163-82.9 Cancellation of prior registration
- § 163-82.10 Official record of voter registration
- § 163-82.10A Permanent voter registration numbers
- § 163-82.10B Confidentiality of date of birth
- § 163-82.11 Establishment of statewide computerized voter registration
- § 163-82.12 Promulgation of guidelines relating to computerized voter registration
- § 163-82.13 Access to statewide voter registration file
- § 163-82.14 List maintenance
- § 163-82.15 Change of address within the county
- § 163-82.15A Administrative change of registration when county line is adjusted
- § 163-82.16 Change of name
- § 163-82.17 Change of party affiliation
- § 163-82.18 Appeal from denial of registration
- § 163-82.19 Voter registration at drivers license offices; coordination on data interface
- § 163-82.20 Voter registration at other public agencies
- § 163-82.20A Voter registration upon restoration of citizenship
- § 163-82.21 Voter registration at military recruitment offices
- § 163-82.22 Voter registration at public libraries and public agencies
- § 163-82.23 Voter registration at public high schools
- § 163-82.24 Statewide training and certification for election officials
- § 163-82.26 Rulemaking authority
- § 163-82.27 Help America Vote Act of 2002
- § 163-82.28 The HAVA Election Fund
- § 163-84 Time for challenge other than on day of primary or election
- § 163-85 Challenge procedure other than on day of primary or election
- § 163-86 Hearing on challenge
- § 163-87 Challenges allowed during early voting and on day of primary or election
- § 163-88 Hearing on challenge made during early voting and on day of primary or election
- § 163-88.1 Request for challenged ballot
- § 163-89 Procedures for challenging absentee ballots
- § 163-90 Challenge as felon; answer not to be used on prosecution
- § 163-90.1 Burden of proof
- § 163-90.2 Action when challenge sustained, overruled, or dismissed
- § 163-90.3 Making false affidavit perjury
- § 163-91 Complaint procedure
- § 163-94 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-96 quot;Political party" defined; creation of new party
- § 163-97 Termination of status as political party
- § 163-97.1 Voters affiliated with expired political party
- § 163-98 General election participation by new political party
- § 163-99 Use of schools and other public buildings for political meetings
- § 163-102 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-104 Primaries governed by general election laws; authority of State Board of Elections to modify time schedule
- § 163-105 Payment of expense of conducting primary elections
- § 163-106 Notices of candidacy; pledge; with whom filed; date for filing
- § 163-106.1 Eligibility to file
- § 163-106.2 Time for filing notice of candidacy
- § 163-106.3 Notice of candidacy for certain offices to indicate vacancy
- § 163-106.4 Withdrawal of notice of candidacy
- § 163-106.5 Certificate of registration to vote in county and party affiliation; cancellation of candidacy; residency requirements for judges
- § 163-106.6 Prohibition on certain dual candidacies; exception
- § 163-107 Filing fees required of candidates in primary; refunds
- § 163-107.1 Petition in lieu of payment of filing fee
- § 163-108 Certification of notices of candidacy
- § 163-108.1 Nomination of members of House of Representatives
- § 163-110 Candidates declared nominees without primary
- § 163-111 Determination of primary results; second primaries
- § 163-112 Death of candidate before primary; vacancy in single office
- § 163-113 Nominee's right to withdraw as candidate
- § 163-114 Filling vacancies among party nominees occurring after nomination and before election
- § 163-115 Special provisions for obtaining nominations when vacancies occur in certain offices
- § 163-119 Voting by unaffiliated voter in party primary
- § 163-120 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-122 Unaffiliated candidates nominated by petition
- § 163-123 Declaration of intent and petitions for write-in candidates in partisan elections
- § 163-124 No run for two separate offices at the same time
- § 163-127.1 Definitions
- § 163-127.2 When and how a challenge to a candidate may be made
- § 163-127.3 Panel to conduct the hearing on a challenge
- § 163-127.4 Conduct of hearing by panel
- § 163-127.5 Burden of proof
- § 163-127.6 Appeals
- § 163-128 Election precincts and voting places established or altered
- § 163-129 Structure at voting place; marking off limits of voting place
- § 163-130 Satellite voting places
- § 163-130.1 Out-of-precinct voting places
- § 163-130.2 Temporary use of two voting places for certain precincts
- § 163-131 Accessible polling places
- § 163-132.1C Participation in the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program of the United States Census Bureau
- § 163-132.3 Alterations to approved precinct boundaries
- § 163-132.3A Alterations to precinct names
- § 163-132.4 Directives
- § 163-132.5 Cooperation of State and local agencies
- § 163-132.5C Local acts and township lines
- § 163-132.5D Retention of precinct maps
- § 163-132.5F U.S. Census data by voting tabulation district
- § 163-132.5G Voting data maintained by precinct
- § 163-133 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-165 Definitions
- § 163-165.1 Scope and general rules
- § 163-165.2 Sample ballots
- § 163-165.3 Responsibilities for preparing official ballots
- § 163-165.4 Standards for official ballots
- § 163-165.4A Punch-card ballots and lever machines
- § 163-165.4B Butterfly ballots
- § 163-165.4C Prohibited voting systems
- § 163-165.5 Contents of official ballots
- § 163-165.5B Ballots may be combined
- § 163-165.6 Arrangement of official ballots
- § 163-165.7 Voting systems: powers and duties of State Board
- § 163-165.8 Voting systems: powers and duties of board of county commissioners
- § 163-165.9 Voting systems: powers and duties of county board of elections
- § 163-165.9A Voting systems: requirements for voting systems vendors; penalties
- § 163-165.10 Adequacy of voting system for each precinct
- § 163-166.1 Duties of county board of elections
- § 163-166.2 Arrangement of the voting enclosure
- § 163-166.3 Limited access to the voting enclosure
- § 163-166.4 Limitation on activity in the voting place and in a buffer zone around it
- § 163-166.5 Procedures at voting place before voting begins
- § 163-166.6 Designation of tasks
- § 163-166.7 Voting procedures
- § 163-166.7A Voter education and information
- § 163-166.8 Assistance to voters
- § 163-166.9 Curbside voting
- § 163-166.10 Procedures after the close of voting
- § 163-166.11 Provisional voting requirements
- § 163-166.11A Notation on provisional ballot
- § 163-166.12 Requirements for certain voters who register by mail
- § 163-166.14 Repealed by Session Laws 2018-144, s. 3.1(f), effective December 19, 2018
- § 163-166.16 Requirement for photo identification to vote in person
- § 163-166.17 Approval of student identification cards for voting identification
- § 163-166.18 Approval of employee identification cards for voting identification
- § 163-166.25 Hours for voting
- § 163-166.35 Sites and hours for early voting
- § 163-166.40 Early voting procedures
- § 163-166.45 Retrievable ballots
- § 163-166.50 Certified list of executed ballots cast during early voting; distribution of list
- § 163-182 Definitions
- § 163-182.1 Principles and rules for counting official ballots
- § 163-182.2 Initial counting of official ballots
- § 163-182.3 Responsibility of chief judge
- § 163-182.4 Jurisdiction for certain ballot items
- § 163-182.5 Canvassing votes
- § 163-182.6 Abstracts
- § 163-182.7 Ordering recounts
- § 163-182.7A Additional provisions for hand-to-eye recounts
- § 163-182.8 Determining result in case of a tie
- § 163-182.9 Filing an election protest
- § 163-182.10 Consideration of protest by county board of elections
- § 163-182.11 Appeal of a protest decision by the county board to the State Board of Elections
- § 163-182.12 Authority of State Board of Elections over protests
- § 163-182.12A Post-election audits
- § 163-182.13 New elections
- § 163-182.13A Contested elections for Council of State offices
- § 163-182.14 Appeal of a final decision to superior court; appeal to the General Assembly or a house thereof
- § 163-182.15 Certificate of nomination or election, or certificate of the results of a referendum
- § 163-182.16 Governor to issue commissions for certain offices
- § 163-182.17 Summary of officials' duties under this Article
- § 163-185 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-201 Congressional districts specified
- § 163-201.1 Severability of congressional apportionment acts
- § 163-202 Election after reapportionment of members of House of Representatives
- § 163-206 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-208 Conduct of presidential election
- § 163-209 Names of presidential electors not printed on ballots; notification
- § 163-209.1 Notification of political parties of dual-office holding rules
- § 163-209.2 Elector may be held in addition to other appointive offices
- § 163-210 Governor to proclaim results; casting State's vote for President and Vice-President
- § 163-211 Compensation of presidential electors
- § 163-212 Penalty for failure of presidential elector to attend and vote
- § 163-213 Appointment of Presidential Electors by General Assembly in certain circumstances, by the Governor in certain other circumstances
- § 163-213.1 (See editor's note for 2016 primary) Short title
- § 163-213.2 Primary to be held; date; qualifications and registration of voters
- § 163-213.3 Conduct of election
- § 163-213.4 Nomination by State Board of Elections
- § 163-213.5 Nomination by petition
- § 163-213.6 Notification to candidates
- § 163-213.7 Voting in presidential preference primary; ballots
- § 163-213.8 Allocation of delegate positions to reflect division of votes in the primary
- § 163-213.9 National committee to be notified of provisions under this Article
- § 163-216 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-218 Registration of notice of circulation of petition
- § 163-219 Petition void after one year from registration
- § 163-220 Limitation on petitions circulated prior to July 1, 1957
- § 163-221 Persons may not sign name of another to petition
- § 163-224 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-226 Who may vote an absentee ballot
- § 163-226.1 Absentee voting in primary
- § 163-226.2 Absentee voting in municipal elections
- § 163-226.3 Certain acts declared felonies
- § 163-227.1 Second primary; applications for absentee ballots for voting in second primary
- § 163-227.4 Repealed by Session Laws 2018-144, s. 3.1(j), effective December 19, 2018
- § 163-227.10 Date by which absentee ballots must be available for voting
- § 163-228 Register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued; a public record
- § 163-229 Absentee ballots, applications on container-return envelopes, and instruction sheets
- § 163-230.1 Simultaneous issuance of absentee ballots with application
- § 163-230.2 Method of requesting absentee ballots
- § 163-230.3 Online request for absentee ballots
- § 163-231 Voting absentee ballots and transmitting them to the county board of elections
- § 163-232 Certified list of executed absentee ballots; distribution of list
- § 163-232.1 Certified list of executed absentee ballots received on or after election day; publication of list
- § 163-232.2 Ballot reporting
- § 163-233 Applications for absentee ballots; how retained
- § 163-233.1 Withdrawal of absentee ballots not allowed
- § 163-234 Counting absentee ballots by county board
- § 163-236 Violations by county board of elections
- § 163-237 Certain violations of absentee ballot law made criminal offenses
- § 163-238 Reports of violations to district attorneys
- § 163-239 Article 21A relating to absentee voting by military and overseas voters not applicable
- § 163-252 Repealed by Session Laws 1973, c. 536, s. 5
- § 163-257 Repealed by Session Laws 2011-182, s. 2, effective January 1, 2012
- § 163-258.1 Short title
- § 163-258.2 Definitions
- § 163-258.3 Elections covered
- § 163-258.4 Role of State Board of Elections
- § 163-258.5 Overseas voter's registration address
- § 163-258.6 Methods of registering to vote
- § 163-258.7 Methods of applying for military-overseas ballot
- § 163-258.8 Timeliness and scope of application for military-overseas ballot
- § 163-258.9 Transmission of unvoted ballots
- § 163-258.10 Timely casting of ballot
- § 163-258.11 Federal write-in absentee ballot
- § 163-258.12 Receipt of voted ballot
- § 163-258.13 Declaration
- § 163-258.14 Confirmation of receipt of application and voted ballot
- § 163-258.15 Use of voter's email address
- § 163-258.16 Publication of election notice
- § 163-258.17 Prohibition of nonessential requirements
- § 163-258.18 Issuance of injunction or other equitable relief
- § 163-258.19 Uniformity of application and construction
- § 163-258.20 Relation to Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
- § 163-258.25 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-258.26 Certified list of approved military-overseas ballot applications; record of ballots received; disposition of list; list constitutes registration
- § 163-258.27 Article inapplicable to persons after change of status; reregistration not required
- § 163-258.28 Registration and voting on primary or election day
- § 163-258.29 Early voting
- § 163-258.30 Regulations of State Board of Elections
- § 163-258.31 Emergency powers
- § 163-271 Intimidation of voters by officers made misdemeanor
- § 163-272.1 Penalties for violation of this Chapter
- § 163-273 Offenses of voters; interference with voters; penalty
- § 163-274 Certain acts declared misdemeanors
- § 163-275 Certain acts declared felonies
- § 163-276 Convicted officials; removal from office
- § 163-277 Compelling self-incriminating testimony; person so testifying excused from prosecution
- § 163-278 Duty of investigating and prosecuting violations of this Article
- § 163-278.3 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.5 Scope of Article; severability
- § 163-278.6 Definitions
- § 163-278.7 Appointment of political treasurers
- § 163-278.7A Gifts from federal political committees and organizations
- § 163-278.8 Detailed accounts to be kept by political treasurers
- § 163-278.8A Campaign sales by political party executive committees
- § 163-278.8B Affiliated party committees
- § 163-278.8C Council of State affiliated party committees
- § 163-278.9 Statements filed with Board
- § 163-278.9A Statements filed by referendum committees
- § 163-278.10 Procedure for inactive candidate or committee
- § 163-278.10A Threshold of $1,000 for financial reports for certain candidates
- § 163-278.11 Contents of treasurer's statement of receipts and expenditures
- § 163-278.12 Special reporting of contributions and independent expenditures
- § 163-278.12C Special reporting of electioneering communications
- § 163-278.13 Limitation on contributions
- § 163-278.13B Limitation on fund-raising during legislative session
- § 163-278.13C Campaign contributions prohibition
- § 163-278.14 No contributions in names of others; no anonymous contributions; contributions in excess of fifty dollars; no contribution without specific designation of contributor
- § 163-278.15 No acceptance of contributions made by corporations, foreign and domestic, or other prohibited sources
- § 163-278.16 Regulations regarding timing of contributions and expenditures
- § 163-278.16A Restriction on use of State funds by declared candidate for Council of State for advertising or public service announcements using their names, pictures, or voices
- § 163-278.16B Use of contributions for certain purposes
- § 163-278.17 Statements of media outlets regarding political advertising
- § 163-278.18 Normal commercial charges for political advertising
- § 163-278.19 Violations by corporations, business entities, labor unions, professional associations and insurance companies
- § 163-278.19A Contributions allowed
- § 163-278.19B Political party headquarters building funds
- § 163-278.21 Promulgation of policy and administration through State Board of Elections
- § 163-278.22 Duties of State Board
- § 163-278.23 Duties of Executive Director of State Board
- § 163-278.24 Statements examined within four months
- § 163-278.25 Issuance of declaration of nomination or certificate of election
- § 163-278.26 Appeals from State Board of Elections; early docketing
- § 163-278.27 Criminal penalties; duty to report and prosecute
- § 163-278.28 Issuance of injunctions; special prosecutors named
- § 163-278.29 Compelling self-incriminating testimony; individual so testifying excused from prosecution
- § 163-278.30 Candidates for federal offices to file information reports
- § 163-278.32 Statements under oath
- § 163-278.33 Applicability of Article 22
- § 163-278.34 Civil penalties
- § 163-278.34A Presumptions
- § 163-278.35 Preservation of records
- § 163-278.37 County boards of elections to preserve reports
- § 163-278.38 Effect of failure to comply
- § 163-278.38S Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.38Y Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.38Z Definitions
- § 163-278.39 Basic disclosure requirements for all political advertisements
- § 163-278.39C Scope of disclosure requirements
- § 163-278.40 Definitions
- § 163-278.40A Organizational report
- § 163-278.40B Campaign report; partisan election
- § 163-278.40C Campaign report; nonpartisan election and runoff
- § 163-278.40D Campaign report; nonpartisan primary and elections
- § 163-278.40E Campaign report; nonpartisan plurality
- § 163-278.40F Form of report
- § 163-278.40G Content
- § 163-278.40H Notice of reports due
- § 163-278.40I Part 1 to apply
- § 163-278.40J Other committees report by municipal schedule
- § 163-278.59 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.69 (See Editor's note for contingent repeal) Voter education
- § 163-278.70 Repealed by Session Laws 2013-360, s. 21.1(a) and Session Laws 2013-381, s. 38.1(a), effective July 1, 2013
- § 163-278.77 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.108 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.99E Voter education
- § 163-278.298 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-278.300 Definitions
- § 163-278.301 Creation of legal expense funds
- § 163-278.306 Treasurer
- § 163-278.307 Detailed accounts to be kept by treasurer
- § 163-278.308 Reports filed with Board
- § 163-278.309 Organizational report
- § 163-278.310 Quarterly report
- § 163-278.316 Limitations on legal expense donations
- § 163-278.320 Permitted uses of legal expense funds
- § 163-278.328 Reserved for future codification purposes
- § 163-279 Time of municipal primaries and elections
- § 163-282 Residency defined for voting in municipal elections
- § 163-283 Right to participate or vote in party primary
- § 163-283.1 Voting in nonpartisan primary
- § 163-284 Mandatory administration by county boards of elections
- § 163-284.1 Special district elections conducted by county
- § 163-286 Conduct of municipal and special district elections; application of Chapter 163
- § 163-287 Special elections; procedure for calling
- § 163-288 Registration for city elections; county and municipal boards of elections
- § 163-288.1 Activating voters for newly annexed or incorporated areas
- § 163-288.1A Activating voters when charter revised
- § 163-288.2 Registration in area proposed for incorporation or annexed
- § 163-288.3 Payment of cost of elections on question of formation of a new municipality or special district
- § 163-289 Right to challenge; challenge procedure
- § 163-290 Alternative methods of determining the results of municipal elections
- § 163-291 Partisan primaries and elections
- § 163-292 Determination of election results in cities using the plurality method
- § 163-293 Determination of election results in cities using the election and runoff election method
- § 163-294 Determination of election results in cities using nonpartisan primaries
- § 163-294.1 Death of candidates or elected officers
- § 163-294.2 Notice of candidacy and filing fee in nonpartisan municipal elections
- § 163-294.3 Sole candidates to be voted upon in nonpartisan municipal elections
- § 163-294.4 Failure of candidates to file; death of a candidate before election
- § 163-295 Municipal and special district elections; application of this Chapter 163
- § 163-296 Nomination by petition
- § 163-297 Structure at voting place; marking off limits of voting place
- § 163-298 Municipal primaries and elections
- § 163-299 Ballots; municipal primaries and elections
- § 163-300 Disposition of duplicate abstracts in municipal elections
- § 163-301 Chairman of election board to furnish certificate of elections
- § 163-302 Absentee and early voting
- § 163-304 State Board of Elections to have jurisdiction over municipal elections, and to advise; emergency and ongoing administration by county board
- § 163-305 Validation of elections
- § 163-306 Assumption of office by mayors and councilmen
- § 163-319 Reserved for future codification purposes