Bill Summary for H 782 (2021-2022)

Printer-friendly: Click to view

Summary date: 

May 5 2021

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2021
House Bill 782 (Public) Filed Monday, May 3, 2021
AN ACT TO CLARIFY THE DATE AND TIME THAT MAIL-IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE COUNTY BOARD IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED.
Intro. by Mills, Kidwell, Moffitt, Zenger.

View: All Summaries for BillTracking:

Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes. 

Further amends GS 163-231(b)(2), which is amended to no longer allow excused absentee ballots received later than 5:00 p.m. on the date of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election [as required by GS 163-231(b)(1)] to be accepted if (1) the ballots are postmarked and dated on or before the date of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election and received by the county board of elections no later than three days after the election by 5:00 p.m., or (2) the ballots are received by the county board of elections no later than the end of business on the business day before the canvass conducted by the county board. Adds that ballots will be accepted after the specified deadline if received in accordance with Article 21A of the Chapter. 

Deletes the proposed changes to GS 163-258.10 which no longer considered valid military-overseas ballots submitted for mailing, electronic transmission, or other authorized means of delivery by 12:01 a.m. at the place where the voter completed the ballot on the date of the election.

Eliminates the proposed repeal of GS 163-258.12, which required a valid military-overseas ballot cast in accordance with GS 163-258.10 to be counted if it is delivered to the address that the appropriate State or local election office has specified by the end of business on the business day before the canvass conducted by the county board of elections.

Further amends GS 163-234, which governs the counting of absentee ballots. Adds a new requirement for the county board of elections to meet at 5:00 p.m. the day after election day in the board office or other public location in the county courthouse for the purpose of counting any remaining uncounted eligible mail-in absentee ballots that have not yet been counted.

Deletes the proposed changes to GS 163-227.2, which expanded the permitted period for early one-stop voting to the period of the third Monday before an election in which absentee ballots are authorized and 3:00 p.m. on the last Saturday before the election. 

Adds the following new content. 

Amends GS 163-227.10, which sets the date by which absentee ballots must be available for voting. Extends the days set forth by 3 days further from the election. Makes conforming changes to GS 163-229 (governing absentee ballots, applications on container-return envelopes, and instruction sheets); GS 163-230.1(c) (governing delivery of absentee ballots and container-return envelopes to applicants); and GS 163-22(k) (governing the State Board of Elections' authority to reduce the required dates by which absentee ballots must be printed and distributed).

Makes conforming changes to the act's long title.