GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 556

Short Title:      Revise Buffer Zone Limitations/Elections.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senator Sawrey (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate

March 26, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to revise the laws regarding the distance permitted to engage in election‑related activity in a buffer zone around a voting place.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑166.4(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      Buffer Zone. – No person or group of persons shall hinder access, harass others, distribute campaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage in election‑related activity in the voting place or in a buffer zone which shall be prescribed by the county board of elections around the voting place. In determining the dimensions of that buffer zone for each voting place, the county board of elections shall, where practical, set the limit at 50 100 feet from the door of entrance to the voting place, measured when that door is closed, but in no event shall it set the limit at more than 50 100 feet or at less than 25 75 feet."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to election‑related activity in a buffer zone of a voting place on or after that date.