A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide that when voting hours are extended for one precinct in an election, voting hours in every precinct are to be extended in that same election.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑166.01 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163‑166.01.  Hours for voting.
In every election, the voting place shall be open at 6:30 A.M. and shall be closed at 7:30 P.M. If the polls are delayed in opening for more than 15 minutes, or are interrupted for more than 15 minutes after opening, the State Board of Elections may extend the closing time by an equal number of minutes. However, the State Board of Elections, a county board of elections, or a State court is not authorized to extend voting hours in one precinct unless voting hours are extended in every precinct in that same election. As authorized by law, the State Board of Elections shall be available either in person or by teleconference on the day of election to approve any such extension. If any voter is in line to vote at the time the polls are closed, that voter shall be permitted to vote. No voter shall be permitted to vote who arrives at the voting place after the closing of the polls.
Any voter who votes after the statutory poll closing time of 7:30 P.M. by virtue of a federal or State court order or any other lawful order, including an order of a county board of elections, shall be allowed to vote, under the provisions of that order, only by using a provisional official ballot. Any special provisional official ballots cast under this section shall be separated, counted, and held apart from other provisional ballots cast by other voters not under the effect of the order extending the closing time of the voting place. If the court order has not been reversed or stayed by the time of the county canvass, the total for that category of provisional ballots shall be added to the official canvass."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.