Bill Summaries: S349 WHIZ KIDS/SLOW POKES VOTER REGISTRATION.

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  • Summary date: Mar 22 2023 - View Summary

    Part I.

    Enacts new GS 163-82.6B allowing a person who is qualified to register to vote to register in person and then vote in their county of residence on election day or during one-stop voting. Requires the person to (1) complete a voter registration form and the attestation that the person meets eligibility requirements; and (2) provide proof of residents by presenting one of the listed documents showing the person's current name and address (allows the State Board of Elections to designate additional documents or methods and requires the Board to prescribe procedures for establishing proof of residence). Requires the person to vote a retrievable ballot immediately after registering; if the person does not vote immediately, the registration must be processed and the person may vote later at a one-stop voting site. Sets out the process under which the registration is to be verified and the ballot counted. Allows a person who will become qualified by age to register and vote in the general election for which a partisan or nonpartisan primary is held, even though not so qualified by the date of the primary, to register for the primary and general election before the primary and then vote in the primary and general election after being registered.

    Makes conforming changes to GS 163-59 (right to participate or vote in party primary); GS 163-82.6(concerning registration deadlines for a primary or election); GS 163-166.12 (concerning voting when identification numbers do not match); GS 163-227.2 (concerning voting by absentee ballot); GS 163-283 (concerning voting in a party primary); and GS 063-283.1 (concerning voting in a nonpartisan primary).

    Part II.

    Amends GS 163-82.1 to allow a person who is at least 16 years old but will not be 18 years old by the date of the next election and who is otherwise qualified to register to preregister to vote and then be automatically registered upon reaching the age of eligibility upon verification of the person's qualifications and address.

    Amends GS 163-82.3 to require the State Board of Elections to develop a form to preregister to vote.

    Amends GS 163-82.4 by amending the questions that appear on a voter registration application form to include asking the applicant if he is at least 16 years old and understands that he must be 18 on or before election day to vote. Makes conforming changes. 

    Makes conforming changes to allow for preregistering to vote in the following: GS 163-82.19 (concerning voter registration at driver's license offices); GS 163-82.20 (voter registration at other public agencies); GS 163-82.23 (voter registration at public high schools); GS 115C-81.45 (concerning components of the high school course on the Founding Principles of the United States of America and the State of North Carolina); and GS 115C-47 (encouraging local boards of education to adopt policies to promote student voter registration, and now, preregistration). 

    Encourages the State Board of Elections and the Department of Public Instruction to improve outreach to high school students on voter registration and preregistration programs when students are eligible to do either.