A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to Provide for the forms of photo identification that are valid for voting in person, to provide for the issuance of voter Photo identification cards to applicants seeking to vote or registered voters that do not possess another valid form of photo identification, to make conforming statutory changes, and to appropriate funds for purposes of implementing provisions in this act.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART 1. FORMS OF VALID PHOTO IDENTIFICATION/ISSUANCE OF VOTER PHOTO IDENTIFICATION DURING ONE‑STOP VOTING
SECTION 1.1.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1145, 163A‑1146, and 163A‑1147 are repealed.
SECTION 1.1.(b)  Article 20 of Chapter 163A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ G.S. 163A‑1145.1.  Forms of valid photo identification for voting in person; provisional ballots.
(a)	Photo Identification Required to Vote. – When a voter presents to vote in person, the voter shall produce any of the following forms of identification that contain a photograph of the voter:
(1)	Any of the following that is valid and unexpired:
a.	A North Carolina drivers license.
b.	A special identification card for nonoperators issued under G.S. 20‑37.7 or other form of nontemporary identification issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation.
c.	A United States passport.
d.	A North Carolina voter photo identification card of the voter issued pursuant to G.S. 163A‑1300(c1).
e.	A valid and current tribal enrollment card issued by a federally recognized tribe.
f.	A valid and current tribal enrollment card issued by a tribe recognized by this State under Chapter 71A of the General Statutes, provided that card meets all of the following criteria:
1.	Is issued in accordance with a process approved by the State Board that requires an application and proof of identity equivalent to the requirements for issuance of a special identification card by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation.
2.	Is signed by an elected official of the tribe.
g.	A student identification card issued by a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina, a North Carolina community college, or any accredited private college or university located in North Carolina. Use of any form of student identification card pursuant to this sub‑subdivision shall be in accordance with a process approved by the State Board that requires an application and proof of identity equivalent to the requirements for issuance of a special identification card by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation.
h.	A drivers license or special identification card for nonoperators issued by another state, the District of Columbia, or a territory or commonwealth of the United States, but only if the voter's voter registration was within 90 days of the election.
i.	An identification card issued by the federal government, the State government, or a local government entity in this State.
j.	An identification card issued by a public or private entity that required the employee to provide the employee's date of birth and the last four digits of the employee's social security number.
(2)	Any of the following, regardless of whether the identification contains a printed expiration or issuance date:
a.	A military identification card issued by the United States government.
b.	A Veterans Identification Card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for use at Veterans Administration medical facilities.
(3)	Any expired form of identification allowed in this subsection presented by a voter having attained the age of 70 years at the time of presentation at the voting place, provided that the identification was unexpired on the voter's seventieth birthday.
(b)	If a registered voter is required to vote a provisional ballot on election day because the voter does not possess a valid form of photo identification for voting in person, the voter may request that the county board of elections issue a voter photo identification card in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1300(c1), if the request is made after the election and prior to the completion of election canvass under G.S. 163A‑1172."
SECTION 1.2.  G.S. 163A‑1300 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1300.  Alternate procedures for requesting application for absentee ballot; "one‑stop" voting procedure in board office; issuance of voter photo identification cards.
…
(b)	Not earlier than the third Wednesday before an election, in which absentee ballots are authorized, in which a voter seeks to vote and not later than 7:00 P.M. on the last Friday before that election, the voter shall appear in person only at the office of the county board of elections, except as provided in G.S. 163A‑1303. That voter shall enter the voting enclosure at the board office through the appropriate entrance and shall at once state his or her name and place of residence to an authorized member or employee of the board and present photo identification in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1. In a primary election, the voter shall also state the political party with which the voter affiliates and in whose primary the voter desires to vote, or if the voter is an unaffiliated voter permitted to vote in the primary of a particular party under G.S. 163A‑989, the voter shall state the name of the authorizing political party in whose primary he wishes to vote. The board member or employee to whom the voter gives this information shall announce the name and residence of the voter in a distinct tone of voice. After examining the registration records, an employee of the board shall state whether the person seeking to vote is duly registered. If the voter is found to be registered that voter may request that the authorized member or employee of the board furnish the voter with an application form as specified in G.S. 163A‑1391. The voter shall complete the application in the presence of the authorized member or employee of the board, and shall deliver the application to that person.
(c)	Except as provided in subsection (c1) of this section, if the application is properly filled out, the authorized member or employee shall enter the voter's name in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued and shall furnish the voter with the ballots to which the application for absentee ballots applies. The voter thereupon shall vote in accordance with subsection (e) of this section.
All actions required by this subsection shall be performed in the office of the board of elections, except that the voting may take place in an adjacent room as provided by subsection (e) of this section. The application under this subsection shall be signed in the presence of the chair, member, director of elections of the board, or full‑time employee, authorized by the board who shall sign the application and certificate as the witness and indicate the official title held by him or her. Notwithstanding G.S. 163A‑1310(a), in the case of this subsection, only one witness shall be required on the certificate.
(c1)	If an applicant seeking to register to vote or a registered voter does not possess a valid form of photo identification, upon the request of the applicant or registered voter, the county board of elections shall issue a North Carolina voter identification card containing the photograph of the applicant or registered voter. The county board of elections shall issue voter photo identification cards at the one‑stop voting site located at the county board of elections office. However, a county board of elections may establish additional one‑stop sites for issuing voter photo identification cards, as it deems necessary. To obtain a voter photo identification card under this subsection, the applicant or registered voter shall provide a copy of a document listed in G.S. 163A‑1144(a)(2). The voter identification card shall be issued to the applicant or registered voter at no charge and is valid for up to four years from the date the card is issued. The card shall be used for election purposes only and is valid for use in any election in which the voter is eligible to vote, including voting in the election on the same day the card is issued. The State Board shall adopt rules implementing this subsection.
…."

PART 2. CONFORMING STATUTORY CHANGES
SECTION 2.1.  G.S. 20‑37.7(d) reads as rewritten:
"(d)	Expiration and Fee. – A special identification card issued to a person for the first time under this section expires when a drivers license issued on the same day to that person would expire. A special identification card renewed under this section expires when a drivers license renewed by the card holder on the same day would expire.
The fee for a special identification card is the same as the fee set in G.S. 20‑14 for a duplicate license. The fee does not apply to a special identification card issued to a resident of this State as follows:
(1)	The applicant is legally blind.
(2)	The applicant is at least 17 years old.
(3)	The applicant or who has been issued a drivers license but the drivers license is cancelled under G.S. 20‑15, in accordance with G.S. 20‑9(e) and (g), as a result of a physical or mental disability or disease.
(4)	The applicant is homeless. To obtain a special identification card without paying a fee, a homeless person must present a letter to the Division from the director of a facility that provides care or shelter to homeless persons verifying that the person is homeless.
(5)	The applicant is registered to vote in this State and does not have photo identification acceptable under G.S. 163A‑1145.1.
	
(7)	The applicant has a developmental disability. To obtain a special identification card without paying a fee pursuant to this subdivision, an applicant must present a letter from his or her primary care provider certifying that the applicant has a developmental disability. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "developmental disability" has the same meaning as in G.S. 122C‑3."
SECTION 2.2.  G.S. 130A‑93.1(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Upon verification of voter registration, the State Registrar shall not charge any fee under subsection (a) of this section to a registered voter who signs a declaration stating the registered voter is registered to vote in this State and does not have a certified copy of that registered voter's birth certificate or marriage license necessary to obtain photo identification acceptable under G.S. 163A‑1145.1. Any declaration shall prominently include the penalty under G.S. 163A‑1389(13) for falsely or fraudulently making the declaration."
SECTION 2.3.  G.S. 161‑10(a)(8) reads as rewritten:
"(8)	Certified Copies of Birth and Death Certificates and Marriage Licenses. – For furnishing a certified copy of a death or birth certificate or marriage license ten dollars ($10.00). Provided however, a register of deeds, in accordance with G.S. 130A‑93, may issue without charge a certified birth certificate to any person over the age of 62 years. Provided, however, upon verification of voter registration, a register of deeds, in accordance with G.S. 130A‑93, shall issue without charge a certified copy of a birth certificate or a certified copy of a marriage license to any registered voter who declares the registered voter is registered to vote in this State and does not have a certified copy of that registered voter's birth certificate or marriage license necessary to obtain photo identification acceptable under G.S. 163A‑1145.1. Any declaration shall prominently include the penalty under G.S. 163A‑1389(13) for falsely or fraudulently making the declaration."
SECTION 2.4.  G.S. 163A‑868 is repealed.
SECTION 2.5.  G.S. 163A‑869(e) reads as rewritten:
"(e)	Display of Card May Not Be Required to Vote. – No county board of elections may require that a voter registration card be displayed in order to vote."
SECTION 2.6.  G.S. 163A‑913 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑913.  Challenges allowed on day of primary or election.
On the day of a primary or election, at the time a registered voter offers to vote, any other registered voter of the county may exercise the right of challenge, and when the voter does so may enter the voting enclosure to make the challenge, but the voter shall retire therefrom as soon as the challenge is heard.
On the day of a primary or election, any other registered voter of the county may challenge a person for one or more of the following reasons:
(1)	One or more of the reasons listed in G.S. 163A‑911(c).
(2)	That the person has already voted in that primary or election.
(3)	If the challenge is made with respect to voting in a partisan primary, that the person is a registered voter of another political party.
	
(5)	The voter does not present photo identification in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1.
The chief judge, judge, or assistant appointed under G.S. 163A‑815 or 163A‑818 may enter challenges under this section against voters in the precinct for which appointed regardless of the place of residence of the chief judge, judge, or assistant.
If a person is challenged under this subsection, and the challenge is sustained under G.S. 163A‑911(c)(3), the voter may still transfer that voter's registration under G.S. 163A‑878(e) if eligible under that section, and the registration shall not be cancelled under G.S. 163A‑919(a) if the transfer is made. A person who has transferred that voter's registration under G.S. 163A‑911(c)(3) may be challenged at the precinct to which the registration is being transferred."
SECTION 2.7.  G.S. 163A‑1137(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Checking Registration. – A person seeking to vote shall enter the voting enclosure through the appropriate entrance. A precinct official assigned to check registration shall at once ask the voter to state current name and residence address. The voter shall answer by stating current name and residence address and presenting photo identification in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1. In a primary election, that voter shall also be asked to state, and shall state, the political party with which the voter is affiliated or, if unaffiliated, the authorizing party in which the voter wishes to vote. After examination, that official shall state whether that voter is duly registered to vote in that precinct and shall direct that voter to the voting equipment or to the official assigned to distribute official ballots. If a precinct official states that the person is duly registered, the person shall sign the pollbook, other voting record, or voter authorization document in accordance with subsection (c) of this section before voting."
SECTION 2.8.  G.S. 163A‑1140(b) is repealed.
SECTION 2.9.  G.S. 163A‑1167 and 163A‑1168 are repealed.
SECTION 2.10.  G.S. 163A‑1301(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Until the deadline for submission of requests for absentee ballots provided in G.S. 163A‑1308, any voter who fails to present an eligible form of photo identification in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1 shall be notified of the option to complete a written request form for an absentee ballot at that one‑stop absentee voting location. The county board of elections shall notify the voter of each of the following:
(1)	The option to request an absentee ballot to vote in that election, whether requested at that one‑stop absentee voting location or as provided in G.S. 163A‑1309.
(2)	The instructions for completing the absentee ballot request in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1308, along with the deadlines for returning the absentee ballot.
(3)	The means by which the voter may transmit the executed ballot to the county board of elections as provided in G.S. 163A‑1310, including through delivery in person to an election official at a one‑stop voting location.
Upon receiving notice pursuant to this subsection, a voter shall sign a form acknowledging that the voter was notified of the option to request and vote an absentee ballot. The list of names of those voters who signed an acknowledgment is a public record."
SECTION 2.11.  G.S. 163A‑1389(13) reads as rewritten:
"(13)	For any person falsely to make or present any certificate or other paper to qualify any person fraudulently as a voter, or to attempt thereby to secure to any person the privilege of voting, including declarations made under thisSubhapter, G.S. 20‑37.7(d)(5), 130A‑93.1(c), and 161‑10(a)(8)."

PART 3. EDUCATION
SECTION 3.1.  The Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement and county boards of elections shall inform the public about the option of North Carolina voter photo identification cards for those individuals who do not possess another valid form of photo identification, as provided by this act.
At each primary and election between March 1, 2019, and January 1, 2021, each voter presenting in person shall be notified that photo identification will be needed to vote beginning in 2021 and be asked if that voter has one of the forms of photo identification appropriate for voting. If that voter indicates the voter does not have one or more of the types of photo identification appropriate for voting, that voter shall be asked to sign an acknowledgment of the photo identification requirement and be given a list of types of photo identification appropriate for voting and information on how to obtain those types of photo identification. The list of names of those voters who signed an acknowledgment is a public record.

PART 4. APPROPRIATION
SECTION 4.1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement (State Board) the sum of nine hundred fifty‑two thousand five hundred dollars ($952,500) for the 2018‑2019 fiscal year to be allocated as follows:
(1)	The sum of eight hundred forty thousand dollars ($840,000) to be used by the State Board for education and outreach for implementing the provisions of Section 1.2 of this act.
(2)	The sum of one hundred twelve thousand five hundred dollars ($112,500) to provide funding for equipment to the county boards of elections for implementing the provisions of Section 1.2 of this act.

PART 5. EFFECTIVE DATES
SECTION 5.1.  Part 1 and Part 3 of this act become effective January 1, 2021, and apply to primaries and elections held on or after that date, except that Section 1.2 becomes effective January 1, 2020, and applies to primaries and elections held on or after that date. Section 3.1 becomes effective January 1, 2019. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.