NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1979 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 534

HOUSE BILL 131

 

 

AN ACT TO PREVENT A PERSON FROM SIGNING THE NAME OF ANOTHER PERSON TO AN ELECTION PETITION.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 163-221 is rewritten to read:

"§ 163-221.  Persons may not sign name of another to petition. — (a) No person may sign the name of another person to:

(1)        any petition calling for an election or referendum;

(2)        any petition under G.S. 163-96 for the formulation of a new political party;

(3)        any petition under G.S. 163-107.1 requesting a person to be a candidate;

(4)        any petition under G.S. 163-122 to have the name of an unaffiliated candidate placed on the general election ballot, or under G.S. 163-296 to have the name of an unaffiliated or nonpartisan candidate placed on the regular municipal election ballot; or

(5)        any petition under G.S. 163-213.5 to place a name on the ballot under the Presidential Preference Primary Act.

(b)        Any name signed on a petition, in violation of this section, shall be void.

(c)        Any person who willfully violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or fined in an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 163-122 is amended by adding a new subdivision (3) to read:

"The board of elections shall examine and verify the signatures on the petition and shall certify only the names of signers who are found to be qualified registered voters in the county."

Sec. 3.  G.S. 163-296 is amended by adding the following language at the end of the section:

"The board of elections shall examine and verify the signatures on the petition, and shall certify only the names of signers who are found to be qualified registered voters in the municipality."

Sec. 4.  G.S. 163-296 and G.S. 163-299(a)(2) are amended by deleting the word "independent", and inserting in lieu thereof the word "unaffiliated".

Sec. 5.  This act is effective with respect to elections held on or after July 1, 1979.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 9th day of May, 1979.