NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1981 SESSION

CHAPTER 219
HOUSE BILL 406

AN ACT TO CHANGE THE FORM OF PETITION TO FORM A NEW PARTY AND TO REDUCE THE SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1. G.S. 163-96(a)(2), as the same appears in Volume 3D of the General Statutes, is amended by deleting the number "10,000", and inserting in lieu thereof the number "5,000", and by adding the following language immediately after the first sentence: "Also the petition must be signed by at least 200 registered voters from each of four Congressional Districts in North Carolina."
Sec. 2. G.S. 163‑96(b), as the same appears in Volume 3D of the General Statutes, is amended by deleting the first paragraph and substituting in lieu thereof the following:
"Petitions for New Political Party. — Petitions for the creation of a new political party shall contain on the heading of each page of the petition in bold print or all in capital letters the words: 'THE UNDERSIGNED REGISTERED VOTERS IN ________ COUNTY HEREBY PETITION FOR THE FORMATION OF A NEW POLITICAL PARTY AND DO HEREBY REQUEST AND DIRECT THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO CHANGE OUR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION TO THE ________ PARTY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING CERTIFICATION OF THE NEW PARTY BY THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS. THE NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE STATE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROPOSED PARTY IS: ________, ________, ________, THE SIGNERS OF THIS PETITION INTEND TO ORGANIZE A NEW POLITICAL PARTY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEXT SUCCEEDING GENERAL ELECTION.' All printing required to appear on the heading of the petition shall be in type no smaller than 10 point. In addition to the form of the petition, the organizers and petition circulators shall inform the signers of the petition that they shall have their current affiliation changed by signing the petition, provided the new party is certified."
Sec. 3. G.S. 163‑96 is amended by adding a new subsection (c) to read:
"(c)	Upon receiving a petition for verification under subsection (b), the county board of elections shall make and keep a copy of the names of registered voters of that county whose names appear on the petition. If the State Board of Elections determines under subsection (a) that the petitions are sufficient it shall notify the county boards of elections, which shall change those voters' party affiliation or unaffiliated status to affiliation with the new political party and thereafter promptly notify all such voters by mail that their political party affiliation has been changed in accordance with their direction by signing the petition. The State Board of Elections shall prescribe the form of the petition and promulgate rules to implement this subsection."
Sec. 4. G.S. 163-74(b) is amended by adding the following new language at the end:
"Party affiliation may also be changed as provided in G.S. 163-96(c)."
Sec. 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 1981.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 17th day of April, 1981.