A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to prevent one political party from controlling the State Board of Elections.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑19 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163‑19.  State Board of Elections; appointment; term of office; vacancies; oath of office.
All of the terms of office of the present members of the State Board of Elections shall expire on May 1, 1969, or when their successors in office are appointed and qualified.
The State Board of Elections shall consist of six registered voters whose terms of office shall begin on May 1 of the first odd‑numbered year after an election for a full term for Governor and shall continue for four years, and until their successors are appointed and qualified. The Governor shall appoint the members of this Board and likewise shall appoint their successors every four years at the expiration of each four‑year term. Not more than three members of the Board shall be members of the same political party. The Governor shall appoint the members from a list of nominees submitted to him by the State party chairman of each of the two political parties having the highest number of registered affiliates as reflected by the latest registration statistics published by the State Board of Elections. Each party chairman shall submit a list of five nominees who are affiliated with that political party.
The Governor shall designate one of the six appointees to be chair of the Board and another to be secretary of the Board.
Any vacancy occurring in the Board shall be filled by the Governor, and the person so appointed shall fill the unexpired term. The Governor shall fill the vacancy from a list of three nominees submitted to him by the State party chairman of the political party that nominated the vacating member as provided by the preceding paragraph. The three nominees must be affiliated with that political party.
At the first meeting held after new appointments are made, the members of the State Board of Elections shall take the following oath:
"I, ______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States; that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the State of North Carolina, and to the constitutional powers and authorities which are or may be established for the government thereof; that I will endeavor to support, maintain and defend the Constitution of said State, and that I will well and truly execute the duties of the office of member of the State Board of Elections according to the best of my knowledge and ability, according to law, so help me, God."

No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the State Board of Elections who holds any elective or appointive office under the government of the United States, or of the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision thereof. No person who holds any office in a political party, or organization, or who is a candidate for nomination or election to any office, or who is a campaign manager or treasurer of any candidate in a primary or election shall be eligible to serve as a member of the State Board of Elections."
SECTION 2.  As soon as possible after this act becomes law, the Governor shall appoint a sixth member of the State Board of Elections. The appointment shall be treated as if it were a vacancy appointment under G.S. 163‑19 in a position held by a minority‑party member of the State Board.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.