GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001

SESSION LAW 2001-337
HOUSE BILL 977

AN ACT to remove the excuse requirement from absentee voting.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑226 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163‑226.  Who may vote an absentee ballot.
(a)	Who May Vote Absentee Ballot; Generally. – Any qualified voter of the State may vote by absentee ballot in a statewide primary, general, or special election on constitutional amendments, referenda or bond proposals, and any qualified voter of a county is authorized to vote by absentee ballot in any primary or election conducted by the county board of elections, in the manner provided in this 					 Article.
	(b)	Absentee Ballots; Exceptions. – Notwithstanding the authority contained in G.S. 163‑226(a), absentee ballots shall not be permitted in fire district elections.
(c)	The Term 'Election'. – As used in this Subchapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the term "election" includes a general, primary, second primary, runoff election, bond election, referendum, or special election."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 163‑227.2(a1) is repealed.
SECTION 3.  G.S. 163‑230.1(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	A qualified voter who is eligible to vote by absentee ballot under G.S. 163-226(a) or that voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian, shall request in writing an application for absentee ballots, so that the county board of elections receives the request not later than 5:00 P.M. on the Tuesday before the election. The county board of elections shall enter in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued the information required in G.S. 163‑228 as soon as each item of that information becomes available. Upon receiving the application, the county board of elections shall cause to be mailed to that voter in a single package:
(1)	The official ballots the voter is entitled to vote;
(2)	A container‑return envelope for the ballots, printed in accordance with G.S. 163‑229; and
(3)	Repealed by Session Laws 1999‑455, s. 10.
(4)	An instruction sheet.
The ballots, envelope, and instructions shall be mailed to the voter by the county board's chairman, member, officer, or employee as determined by the board and entered in the register as provided by this Article."
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2002.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 26th day of July, 2001.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 11:35 a.m. this 3rd day of August, 2001