Bill Summary for H 344 (2015-2016)

Printer-friendly: Click to view

Summary date: 

Mar 24 2015

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2015-2016 Session
House Bill 344 (Public) Filed Tuesday, March 24, 2015
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TO HAVE THE GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR RUN AS A TEAM ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT AND TO MAKE CONFORMING STATUTORY CHANGES.
Intro. by Jones, Lambeth, Malone, McGrady.

View: All Summaries for BillTracking:

Bill summary

Amends Section 2 of Article III of the NC Constitution, subject to approval at a statewide election in November 2018, by adding a new subsection that establishes in general elections, starting in 2020 and every four years after that, each candidate for office of Governor will form a joint candidacy with a candidate for Lieutenant Governor so that only a single vote will be needed (Governor and Lieutenant Governor running together). Sets out the amendment as it would appear on the ballot at the November 2014 statewide election. If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment, the State Board of Elections will certify the amendment to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will then enroll the amendment in the permanent records of that office and the amendment will be effective January 1, 2020.

Amends GS 163-98, effective January 1, 2020, requiring that a convention for a new political party that nominates a gubernatorial candidate must also nominate a candidate for Lt. Governor or the nomination for Governor is void.  Also provides that a nomination for Lt. Governor without an accompanying nomination for Governor is void.

Amends GS 163-106(h), effective January 1, 2020, making technical changes and adding language allowing a person to file a notice of candidacy for Lt. Governor and also file for state representative or state senator.

Enacts new GS 163-115.1, effective January 1, 2020, providing that a political party that nominates a candidate for Governor under Article 10 of GS Chapter 163 must also nominate a candidate for Lieutenant Governor (Lt. Governor), otherwise the nomination for Governor is void. Also establishes that a political party nominating a candidate for Lt. Governor under Article 10 of GS Chapter 163 must also nominate a candidate for Governor, otherwise the nomination for Lt. Governor is void.  

Amends GS 163-122, effective January 1, 2020, to require that petitions filed for an unaffiliated candidate must include the names of candidates for both Governor and Lt. Governor. Specifies language to be included on the petition.

Amends GS 163-123, effective January 1, 2020, adding a new subsection (c1) to provide that declaration of intent filed for the office of Governor or the office of Lt. Governor is to be a joint declaration identifying both candidates and signed by both candidates. 

Amends GS 163-165.6, effective January 1, 2020, to require that the offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor be combined on the ballot listing the nominees of each party or unaffiliated nominees together so that a vote for a candidate for one office is a vote for the candidates for both offices.

Amends GS 163-182.1, effective January 1, 2020, to provide that a write-in vote will not be counted unless the voter has written in the name for a candidate for Governor and a candidate for Lt. Governor and vice versa.  

Sections 2 through 8 of the bill become effective only if the constitutional amendment proposed in Section 1 is approved by the voters. If so approved, those sections become effective beginning January 1, 2020.