NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1979 SESSION

CHAPTER 135

HOUSE BILL 389

AN ACT TO ALLOW VOTERS TO CHANGE ADDRESS WITHIN A COUNTY BY MAIL.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 163-72(c) is repealed.

Sec. 2.  Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

"§ 163-72.2.  Change of address within a county. — (a) No registered voter shall be required to reregister upon moving from one precinct to another in the same county.

(b)        In lieu thereof, the voter may in person, or by returnable first class mail, file a written report with the county board of elections, signed in his own hand, setting forth:

(1)        his full name,

(2)        his former residence address,

(3)        his new residence address, and

(4)        the date he moved to the new address.

The voter shall sign his name himself and shall not cause or allow his signature to be signed by any other person unless he is unable to sign his name himself.

(c)        If the request is in proper form, and the board is satisfied as to the facts asserted and the signature, it shall immediately transfer the voter's registration to his new precinct, and notify the voter in person or by returnable mail of his new voting place and precinct. The board shall also correct his registration for municipal elections, if necessary.

(d)        If a written report is submitted but does not contain sufficient information, the board shall request further information before acting.

(e)        No report filed under this section shall be effective for a primary or election unless received by the Board of Elections on or before the twenty-first day (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) before the primary or election, except that if the report is submitted before the deadline but more information is requested, such report shall be effective for the primary or election if sufficient information is received more than 14 days before the primary or election.

(f)         For the purpose of this section, a report in person shall be considered filed with the county board of elections if filed with any election official of that county authorized to register voters under G.S. 163-80.

(g)        A county board of elections may make available printed forms containing spaces for the information required by this section."

Sec. 3.  G.S. 163-274 is amended by adding a new subdivision (13) to read:

"(13)    Except as authorized by G.S. 163-72.2(b), for any person to provide false information, or sign the name of any other person, to a written report under G.S. 163-72.2."

Sec. 4.  This act shall become effective September 1, 1979.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 12th day of March, 1979.