House committee substitute makes the following changes to 1st edition. Amends the definition of a political party under GS 163-96(a) by lowering the threshold for qualification as a political party to (1) at least one-fourth of one percent (.25%) of the entire vote cast in votes of any group of voters polled in the last preceding general state election for specified offices or (2) at least .25% of registered and qualified voters in the state as of January 1 of the year of the petition, if qualifying by petition, filed with the State Board of Elections. Amends proposed GS 163-122(a1)(2) by requiring that petitions due under the provision be filed with the county board of elections on or before 12:00 noon on the last Friday of June (previously third Friday of July) preceding the general election. Rewrites proposed GS 163-122(a2) to specify the method for calculating the number of signatures needed for candidates seeking election to a partisan office as an unaffiliated candidate, depending on the office sought. Clarifies that proposed GS 163-111.1 (determination of primary results for political parties) applies only to political parties that, as of January 1 of the year that the primary election is held, have less than 10% of the registered voters in the state. Deletes amendments made in previous edition to GS 163-123 concerning write-in candidates. Makes conforming change to title. Makes other technical and clarifying changes. Effective January 1, 2012, and applies to elections held on or after that date.