A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT providing that state and local employees be granted paid leave for election service on election day.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 126‑4 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(5b)	A policy allowing employees to take 24 hours per year of paid leave for election service. For purposes of this section, 'election service' means service as a precinct official as provided in G.S. 163‑42 on election day. In the policy, the Commission shall provide for leave with full pay for any hours of election service for which the employee is not compensated by a board of elections. The Commission shall provide that the leave shall be in addition to any vacation leave or sick leave to which the employee is already entitled. Employees must receive approval from their supervisor to use leave under this subdivision. The agency may require proof that leave is taken within the purpose of this subdivision. The Commission may satisfy the requirements of this subdivision by including paid leave for election service as an option within another paid leave policy for community service. If it does so, the Commission may limit to 24 hours per year the paid leave for all forms of service under that policy an employee takes."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 163‑46 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163‑46. Compensation of precinct officials and assistants.
The precinct chief judge shall be paid the state minimum wage for his services on the day of a primary, special or general election. Judges of election shall each be paid the state minimum wage for their services on the day of a primary, special or general election. Assistants, appointed pursuant to G.S. 163‑42, shall each be paid the state minimum wage for their services on the day of a primary, special or general election. Ballot counters appointed pursuant to G.S. 163‑43 shall be paid a minimum of five dollars ($5.00) for their services on the day of a primary, general or special election. If an election official is being paid an hourly wage or daily fee on an election day and the official is performing additional election duties away from the assigned precinct voting place, the official shall not be entitled to any additional monies for those services, except for reimbursable expenses in performing the services.
If the county board of elections requests the presence of a chief judge or judge at the county canvass, the chief judge shall be paid the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) per day and judges shall be paid the sum of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day. If the county board of elections requests a precinct official, including chief judge or judge, to personally deliver official ballots or other official materials to the county board of elections, the precinct official shall be paid the sum of twenty dollars ($20.00) per day and judges shall be paid the sum of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day.
The chairman of the county board of elections, along with the director of elections, shall conduct an instructional meeting prior to each primary and general election which shall be attended by each chief judge and judge of election, unless excused by the chairman, and such precinct election officials shall be paid the sum of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for attending the instructional meetings required by this section.
In its discretion, the board of county commissioners of any county may provide funds with which the county board of elections may pay chief judges, judges, assistants, and ballot counters in addition to the amounts specified in this section. Observers shall be paid no compensation for their services.
A person appointed to serve as chief judge, or judge of election when a previously appointed chief judge or judge fails to appear at the voting place or leaves his post on the day of an election or primary shall be paid the same compensation as the chief judge or judge appointed prior to that date.
For the purpose of this section, the phrase "the State minimum wage", means the amount set by G.S. 95‑25.3(a). For the purpose of this section, no other provision of Article 2A of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes shall apply. 
The county board of elections shall not compensate a precinct official for any hours worked for which the precinct official takes paid leave subject to a policy adopted pursuant to G.S.  126‑4(5b)."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.