GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

H                                                                                                                                                   D

HOUSE BILL DRH40288-LU-48   (02/14)

Short Title:      Fair and Nonpartisan Ballot Placement.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Representative Bert Jones.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT regarding the placement of candidates on official election ballots.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑165.6 reads as rewritten:

"§ 163‑165.6.  Arrangement of official ballots.

…

(c)        Order of Candidates on Primary and Nonpartisan Official Ballots. – The order in which candidates shall appear on a county's official ballots in any (i) primary ballot item, whether the primary is partisan or nonpartisan, and (ii) in any nonpartisan general election ballot item under Article 25 of this Chapter shall be determined by the county board of elections using a process designed by the State Board of Elections for random selection. The same random selection process shall be used for all primaries and elections in a calendar year.election ballot item shall be by either alphabetical order or reverse alphabetical order by the last name of the candidate, which order shall be determined each election by drawing at the State Board of Elections after the closing of the filing period for all offices on the ballot.

(d) Order of Party Candidates on General Election Official Ballot. – Candidates in any ballot item on a general election official ballot shall appear in the following order:

(1) Nominees of political parties that reflect at least five percent (5%) of statewide voter registration, according to the most recent statistical report published by the State Board of Elections, in alphabetical order by party beginning with the party whose nominee for Governor received the most votes in the most recent gubernatorial election, and in alphabetical order within the party.

(2) Nominees of other political parties, in alphabetical order by party and in alphabetical order within the party.

(3) Unaffiliated candidates, in alphabetical order.

(d1) Order of Candidates for Judge of the Court of Appeals on General Election Official Ballot. – Candidates for judge of the Court of Appeals on a general election official ballot shall appear in the following order:

(1) Candidates registered with political parties that reflect at least five percent (5%) of statewide voter registration, according to the most recent statistical report published by the State Board of Elections, in alphabetical order by party beginning with the party whose nominee for Governor received the most votes in the most recent gubernatorial election and in alphabetical order within the party.

(2) Candidates registered with other political parties, in alphabetical order by party and in alphabetical order within the party.

(3) Unaffiliated candidates, in alphabetical order.

…."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.