A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to amend the constitution of north carolina to immediately restore voting rights to certain offenders adjudged guilty of a felony upon completion of any period of active punishment imposed by the court.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Section 2(3) of Article VI of the Constitution of North Carolina reads as rewritten:
"Sec. 2.  Qualifications of voter.
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(3)	Disqualification of felon. No person adjudged guilty of a felony against this State or the United States, or adjudged guilty of a felony in another state that also would be a felony if it had been committed in this State, shall be permitted to vote until that person has completed any period of active punishment imposed by the court, except that no person adjudged guilty for a felony offense of murder or a felony sexual offense shall be permitted to vote until the person shall be first restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law."
SECTION 2.  The amendment set out in Section 1 of this act shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the general election held in 2020, which election shall be conducted under the laws then governing elections in the State. The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be:
"[ ] FOR	[ ] AGAINST
Constitutional amendment to allow an individual convicted of a felony to vote when that individual has completed any period of active punishment imposed by the court but would not apply to an individual convicted of murder or a sexual offense until that individual's civil rights are restored in the manner prescribed by law."
SECTION 3.  If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, the State Board of Elections shall certify the amendment to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall enroll the amendment so certified among the permanent records of that office. The amendment set out in Section 1 of this act becomes effective upon certification.
SECTION 4.  This act is effective when it becomes law.