AN ACT TO ALLOW ANY CITIZEN TO REMOVE A POLITICAL SIGN THAT REMAINS IN A PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE TIME WITHIN WHICH POLITICAL SIGNS ARE TO BE REMOVED, TO PROVIDE A WINDOW OF TIME BEFORE THE OPENING AND AFTER THE CLOSE OF POLLS FOR POLITICAL ADVERTISING TO BE PLACED AND COLLECTED AT THE VOTING PLACE, AND TO ALLOW THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO MODIFY THE REQUIRED CERTIFICATION DATES FOR THE 2019 ELECTION CYCLE IF NEEDED. SL 2019-119. Enacted July 11, 2019. Effective December 1, 2019, except as otherwise provided.
Bill Summaries: S220 REMOVAL OF POLITICAL SIGNS BY CITIZENS.
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Tracking:
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Bill S 220 (2019-2020)Summary date: Jul 11 2019 - View Summary
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Bill S 220 (2019-2020)Summary date: Jun 24 2019 - View Summary
House committee substitute to the 3rd edition makes the following changes.
Amends GS 163A-1046 by adding a requirement that the county board of elections ensure that each precinct voting place allows candidates at least 36 hours before the opening of the voting place and at least 36 hours after it closes, to place and retrieve political advertising. Allows any political advertising placed outside of these times to be removed by the property owner. Amends GS 163A-1134 by adding to the conditions that must be met in order for the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections to grant special permission for a county board of elections to enter into an agreement with the owners or managers of a nonpublic building to use the building as a voting place on the condition that election-related activity not be permitted on their property adjacent to the buffer zone, to also require that the county board have attempted to secure as a term of the agreement at least 36 hours prior to the opening of the voting place and at least 36 hours after closing for candidates to place and retrieve political advertising. Allows the agreement to provide that any political advertising placed outside of those times be removed by the property owner.
Gives the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, in the 2019 elections only, authority to reduce the canvass period by whatever time necessary to ensure orderly elections on the legally required election schedule. Requires at least two weeks' notice if the period is shortened, to be provided to the county board and to the public. Effective when the act becomes law and expires November 7, 2019.
Makes conforming changes. Amends the act's long title.
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Bill S 220Summary date: Apr 2 2019 - View Summary
Senate amendment #1 to the 2nd edition deletes the previous provisions and now provides as follows.
Amends GS 136-32, deeming unlawfully placed and abandoned property any political signs that remain in a public right-of-way more than 30 days after the end of the period described in subsection (b) of the statute (which requires signs to be removed by the tenth day after primary or election day). Allows persons to remove and dispose of signs considered unlawfully placed and abandoned property without penalty. Makes similar additions to subsection (f) of the statute to now require municipalities adopting an ordinance regulating political sign placement to include the same provisions applicable to signs remaining in the right-of-way of streets located in the corporate limits of the municipality and maintained by the municipality. Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2019.
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Bill S 220 (2019-2020)Summary date: Mar 27 2019 - View Summary
Senate committee substitute to the 1st edition deletes the previous provisions and now provides as follows.
Amends GS 136-32, deeming abandoned property any political signs that remain in a public right-of-way after 30 days from the date political signs are to be removed pursuant to subsection (b) of the statute (which requires signs to be removed by the tenth day after primary or election day). Allows citizens to remove and dispose of signs considered abandoned property without penalty. Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2019.
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Bill S 220 (2019-2020)Summary date: Mar 11 2019 - View Summary
Amends GS 136-32 to allow a citizen to remove a political sign that remains in a public right-of-way after 30 days from the date that the signs are required to be removed. Requires the citizen to deliver the sign to the county boards of elections office within 72 hours of removing the sign; failure to do so subjects the citizen to the penalties already set out in the statute for unlawful removal of signs. Requires the director of the county board of elections to attempt to notify and return the political sign to the candidate, committee, or campaign, but allows the sign to be disposed of if after 15 days attempts to notify the campaign are unsuccessful.