A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to permit the appointment of certain high school students as student election assistants.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 5 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 163-42.1. Student election assistants.A student of at least 17 years of age at the time of any election or primary in which the student works shall be eligible to be appointed as a student election assistant. To be eligible a student must have all the following qualifications:
(1)	Be a United States citizen.
(2)	Be a resident of the county in which the student is appointed.
(3)	Be enrolled in a secondary educational institution, including a home school as defined in G.S. 115C-563(a), with an exemplary academic record as determined by that institution.
(4)	Be recommended by the principal or director of the secondary educational institution in which the student is enrolled.
(5)	Have the consent of a parent, legal custodian, or guardian.
The county board of elections may appoint student election assistants, following guidelines which shall be issued by the State Board of Elections. No more than two student election assistants shall be assigned to any voting place. Every student election assistant shall work under the direct supervision of the election judges. The student election assistants shall attend the same training as a precinct assistant, shall be sworn in the same manner as a precinct assistant, and shall be compensated in the same manner as precinct assistants. The county board of elections shall prescribe the duties of a student election assistant, following guidelines which shall be issued by the State Board of Elections. Under no circumstances may students ineligible to register to vote be appointed and act as precinct judges or observers in any election."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2004.