GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 252

Short Title:  Guilf. Vote Early But Not Often.	(Local)
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Sponsors: Representative Wood.
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Referred to:  Local and Regional Government I.
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February 25, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ALLOW THE GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO ESTABLISH A "VOTE EARLY BUT NOT OFTEN" PROGRAM.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 20 and 21 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, the Guilford County Board of Elections may submit in writing to the State Board of Elections a plan to establish in the county a program of early voting in accordance with Sections 2 through 9 of this act.  The county board shall submit the plan no later than the ninetieth day before any election in which it is to be used.  The State Board of Elections shall approve the plan if it determines that the plan:
(1)	Conforms to Sections 2 through 9 of this act and to other applicable laws to which this act is not an exception;
(2)	Contains sufficient guarantees against fraud and inaccuracy; and
(3)	Does not favor or disfavor voters on the basis of race or party affiliation.
Upon approval of its plan by the State Board, the Guilford County Board of Elections may put its plan into operation. 
Sec. 2.  The Guilford County Board of Elections may select between one and twenty sites at which voters may cast their ballots by early voting.  The county board shall name each proposed site in the plan it submits to the State Board of Elections.
Sec. 3.  "Early voting," as used in this act, means voting in person at a site designated under Section 2 of this act during the period beginning on the day following the day registration closes for the election and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the election.  Early voting shall be permitted in any election at which absentee voting is permitted.
Sec. 4.  Any person registered to vote in Guilford County shall be allowed to vote by early voting at any one of the early voting sites designated under Section 2.  To vote by early voting, no one shall be required to state a reason why he will be unable to vote on election day.
Sec. 5.  All early voting shall be done by absentee ballot as specified in G.S. 163-227.2 or by some other method by which a ballot may be retrieved if it is discovered to be irregular.  All early voting ballots shall be counted as absentee ballots in accordance with Article 20 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, or by some other method sufficient to guarantee accuracy.
Sec. 6.  The Guilford County Board of Elections shall staff the early voting sites with employees of the supervisor of elections or with persons appointed by the county board according to the method and with the qualifications of precinct assistants as specified in G.S. 163-42.  The county board shall designate one official as the chief of an early voting site.
Sec. 7.  The chief of each early voting site shall maintain a daily list of every person who votes by early voting at that site, and shall submit that list to the supervisor of elections immediately after the close of voting that day.  The supervisor of elections shall distribute to all early voting sites before voting begins the next day a cumulative list of all voters who have voted at all early voting sites.  No official at an early voting site shall permit a person who has already voted in the election to vote again.
Sec. 8.  The supervisor of elections shall provide to each precinct a list of all persons registered to vote in that precinct who have voted by early voting in that election.  No precinct official shall permit a person who has voted by early voting to vote on election day.
Sec. 9.  The Guilford County Board of Elections shall set a schedule of the days during the early voting period and the hours during each of those days that each early voting site shall be open for voting.  The county board's plan need not have all sites open during the same hours or on the same days.  The plan the county submits to the State Board of Elections shall specify the days and hours at each site.
Sec. 10.  This act is effective upon ratification.  This act expires January 1, 1995.