GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2017
H 1
HOUSE BILL 496
Short Title: Fair and Nonpartisan Ballot Placement. |
(Public) |
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Sponsors: |
Representative Bert Jones. For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site. |
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Referred to: |
Elections and Ethics Law |
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March 28, 2017
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.