NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

CHAPTER 537

HOUSE BILL 727

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 163 OF THE GENERAL STATUTES SO AS TO PROHIBIT LOITERING AND ELECTIONEERING IN AND AROUND VOTING PLACES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1.  G.S. 163-147 is amended by deleting it in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

"§ 163-147.  No loitering or electioneering at voting place. — No person or group of persons shall, while the polls are open at the voting place on the day of the primary or election, loiter about, congregate, distribute campaign material, or do any electioneering within the voting place, or within 50 feet in any direction of the entrance or entrances to the building in which the voting place is located. Notwithstanding the above provision, if the voting place is located in a large building, the registrar and judges of the precinct may designate the entrance to the voting place within said building and none of the above activity shall be permitted within 50 feet of said entrance or entrances of said voting place. This section shall not, however, prohibit any candidate for nomination or election from visiting such voting place in person, provided he does not enter the voting enclosure except to cast his vote as a registered voter in said precinct. The county boards of elections and precinct registrars shall have full authority to enforce the provisions of this section."

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this act are repealed.

Sec. 3.  This act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 10th day of June, 1971.