Bill Summary for S 326 (2021-2022)

Printer-friendly: Click to view

Summary date: 

Mar 18 2021

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2021
Senate Bill 326 (Public) Filed Thursday, March 18, 2021
AN ACT TO AMEND THE DATE BY WHICH MAIL-IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED, TO REQUIRE PUBLISHING OF THE DATE ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE DEADLINE FOR REQUESTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPORTING OF BALLOTS BY THE COUNTY BOARDS OF ELECTIONS.
Intro. by Daniel, Newton, Hise.

View: All Summaries for BillTracking:

Bill summary

Enacts GS 163-22(s) and GS 163-33(17) to specify that GS Chapter 163 does not grant authority to the State Board of Elections (State Board) or county boards of elections (county boards) to accept private monetary donations for the purpose of administering elections or employing individuals on a temporary basis, respectively.

Changes the deadline for county boards of elections to receive a completed request form for an absentee ballot application and absentee ballots under GS 163-230.1, to 5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday before the election (currently the Tuesday before the election). Makes conforming changes. 

Amends GS 163-231(b) to no longer authorize the transmission of executed absentee ballots to county boards if the ballots are postmarked with a date on or before the date of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election and received by the county board of elections by within three days after the election by 5:00 p.m. Makes conforming changes to GS 163-89(a) regarding challenges to absentee ballots, and GS 163-234 regarding counting absentee ballots.

Modifies the county boards' duty to prepare a certified list of absentee ballots received on or after election day pursuant to GS 163-232.1. Now requires the list to contain all absentee ballots returned to the county board to be counted, which have been approved by the county board and not included on the certified list of executed absentee ballots received before 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election, and which have been received by the county board by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election. Makes conforming changes to the county chairman's certification of the list. 

The above provisions are effective when the act becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date. 

Appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to the State Board for 2021-22 to establish a program to identify individuals in the state who need a photo ID to vote in person. Requires including a mobile component to visit identified individuals to ensure a photo ID is created for those voters. Effective July 1, 2022.