A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to allow any citizen to remove a political sign that remains in a public right‑of‑way thirty days after the time within which political signs are to be removed.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 136‑32 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(e1)	Notwithstanding subsection (e) of this section, a citizen may remove a political sign that remains in a public right‑of‑way after 30 days from the date political signs are to be removed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Within 72 hours of removing the political sign, the citizen shall deliver the political sign to the county board of elections office in the county in which the sign was located. If a citizen fails to deliver the political sign to the county board of elections within the time frame required by this subsection, the citizen is subject to the penalties for unlawful removal of signs under subsection (e) of this section. Upon receiving a political sign pursuant to this subsection, the director of the county board of elections shall attempt to notify and return the political sign to the appropriate candidate, committee, or organization's campaign. However, if after 15 days attempts to notify the campaign are unsuccessful, the county board of elections may dispose of the political sign as it deems appropriate."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to the removal of political signs for a primary or election held on or after that date.