House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. Removes provisions in new Section 4.1 of the Town of Rural Hall's Charter (SL 1973-1100)that  authorized the Forsyth County Board of Elections to set rules on (1) the date and time that a petition of unaffiliated candidates seeking nomination by petition for municipal office must be timely submitted for verification and (2) imposing a signature requirement in the petition itself. Instead, specifies that the date and time such petitions must be filed with the county board of elections in GS 163-122(a)(3) apply instead.

Changes the effective date to January 1, 2027 (was, when act becomes law) and now applies to elections held in 2028 and thereafter (was, applies to elections held after the act becomes law). 

Changes the act's titles.