House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Changes the act's long title.

Further amends GS 163-96(a), concerning the petition requirements for a group of voters to be considered a political party in North Carolina. Modifies the proposed changes to subdivision (2), lowering the number of required signatures needed to form a new political party to 10,000, to require signatures of at least 200 registered voters from at least three (previously proposed, each of the four) NC congressional districts.

Expands the requirements to include any group of voters that files with the State Board of Elections (State Board) documentation that the group of voters had a candidate nominated by that group on the general election ballot of at least 80% of the states in the prior Presidential election. Requires the group of voters to file this documentation with the State Board no later than 120 days before the NC presidential primary. Directs the State Board to immediately verify the documentation and immediately communicate its determination with the State chairman of the proposed new political party. Establishes that a political party recognized under this new subdivision is eligible to participate only in the presidential primary as provided in Article 18A of GS Chapter 163 and the election of presidential electors as provided in Article 18 of the Chapter. Makes conforming clarifying changes. 

Further amends GS 163-122(a), as amended, to change the date by which a petition must be filed with the State Board for an unaffiliated candidate to put his or her name on a general election ballot for statewide office to on or before 12:00 noon on the last Friday in June preceding the general election (currently, on the second Wednesday prior to the primary election). Further requires the State Board to verify a timely filed petition within two weeks from the date the petition is presented (currently, no later than 15 business days after canvass of the primary), as specified. Makes identical changes to the timing of filing a petition with the county board of elections and subsequent verification by the board for petitions for office of either county office or a single county legislative district. Makes identical changes to the timing of filing a petition with the State Board for petitions for offices that are a district office, or a superior court judge or a district court judge. Makes identical changes to the timing for the verification of a petition by the county board of elections that is timely filed with the board for an office that is a partisan municipal office.

Amends GS 163-296, lowering the number of qualified voters of a municipality that must sign a petition for an unaffiliated candidate to be placed on the regular municipal election ballot to 3% (currently, 4%) of the whole number of voters qualified to vote in the municipal election according to the voter registration records of the State Board as of January 1 of the year in which the general municipal election is held. Also provides that where an unaffiliated candidate seeks to have the candidate's name printed on the regular municipal election ballot for election from an election district within the municipality, the petition must be signed by 3% (currently 4%) of the voters qualified to vote for that office.