GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 655

Short Title:  Election Amendments.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Representative Wilson.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Courts, Justice, Constitutional Amendments and Referenda.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 10, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO AMEND THE ELECTION LAWS CONCERNING INFORMATION PROVIDED ON VOTER LISTS, PROVISION OF COMPUTER DISCS OR TAPES, AND PROVIDING THAT REGISTRANTS SHALL PROVIDE THEIR TELEPHONE NUMBER, IF ANY.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 163-66 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163-66. Custody of registration records and pollbooks; access; obtaining copies.
In all counties the registration records, books, registration certificates, indexes, computer lists, discs, labels and tapes and other records of registration and voting shall be and remain in the possession of the county board of elections. The county board of elections shall keep all such records in a safe and secure place where they may not be tampered with, stolen or destroyed. If possible, the board shall keep them in a fireproof vault or file. The board may exercise supervision and control of these records through its properly designated officers and employees. It shall be the duty of the county board of elections, on application of any candidate, or the county chairman of any political party, or any other person, to furnish a list of the persons registered to vote in the county or in any precinct or precincts therein. No registrar shall furnish lists of registered voters or permit the registration records of his precinct to be copied. The county board of elections shall furnish such lists and upon request, it may furnish selective lists according to party affiliation, sex, race, date of registration, or any other reasonable category. In all instances, however, the county board of elections shall require persons to whom any list is furnished to make full reimbursement for the expense incurred in preparing it. Notwithstanding the above, however, the chairman of each political party in the county, as defined in G.S. 163-96, shall be entitled biennially, upon written request, to one free list (or at the chairman's option, one free computer disc or tape including necessary documentation for use) of all registered voters in his county showing the name, address, sex, political affiliation, date of birth, voting history, telephone number if any, and precinct of each registered voter, provided, that in counties having voter records maintained on electronic data processing equipment, such lists shall not be furnished biennially but instead on the following schedule: once in each odd-numbered year, once during the first six calendar months of each even-numbered year, and once during the last six months of each even-numbered year. In addition to the typed, mimeographed, xeroxed or computer print-out lists required hereinabove, each county that provides voters' lists from computers shall, upon written request from the State chairman of each political party, provide once in each odd-numbered year, once during the first six calendar months of each even-numbered year, and once during the last six months of each even-numbered year a computer disc or tape containing the name, address, sex, race, age, political affiliation and precinct of each registered voter and it shall be the responsibility of each State chairman receiving such discs or tapes to provide them to candidates for election who are candidates of their respective political parties and who request the discs or tapes in writing. The free list to be furnished to the county chairman of each political party shall group the registered voters by precinct and shall be furnished as soon as practicable but no later than 30 days after said request. The discs or tapes to be furnished to the State chairman shall be furnished as soon as practicable but no later than 30 days after the request, and the State chairman is required to return the tapes or discs to the county board of elections within 30 days after receiving them."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 163-72(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Before questioning any applicant for registration as to his qualifications, the registrar shall present to the applicant a certification which shall be read by or to the applicant on his request and then signed by the applicant: 'I hereby certify that the information I shall give with respect to my qualifications and identity is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
.........................
(Signature of applicant)'
After signing the certification, the applicant shall state as accurately as possible his name, age, place of birth, place of residence, political party affiliation, if any, under the provisions of G.S. 163-74, the name of any municipalities in which he resides, telephone number, if any, and any other information which may be material to a determination of his identity and qualification to be admitted to registration. The applicant shall also present to the registrar written or documentary evidence that he is the person he represents himself to be. The registrar, if in doubt as to the right of the applicant to register, may require other evidence satisfactory to him as to the applicant's qualifications."
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective September 1, 1991.