NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1975 SESSION

CHAPTER 234

HOUSE BILL 170

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 7 OF CHAPTER 163 OF THE GENERAL STATUTES OF NORTH CAROLINA TO SPECIFY WHAT OFFICIALS MAY REGISTER VOTERS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Article 7 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina is amended by adding a new section at the end thereof to read as follows:

"§ 163-80.  Officers authorized to register voters. — (a) Only the following election officials shall be authorized to register voters:

(1)        Any member of a county board of elections who has been duly appointed pursuant to G.S. 163-22(c) and properly installed as required by G.S. 163-30 and 31.

(2)        The Executive Secretary of a county board of elections appointed pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 163-35.

(3)        Precinct registrars and judges of election appointed pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 163-41.

(4)        Special Registration Commissioners appointed pursuant to the authority and limitation contained in G.S. 163-41(b).

(5)        Full-time and salaried Deputy Executive Secretaries employed by the county board of elections and who work under the direct supervision of the board's Executive Secretary appointed pursuant to the provisions contained in G.S. 163-35.

(6)        Local public library employees designated by the governing board of such public library to be appointed by the County Board of Elections as special library registration deputies. Persons appointed under this subsection shall be given the oath contained in G.S. 163-41(b), and shall be authorized to accept applications to register on those days and during those hours said special deputies are on duty with their respective libraries.

(b)        All election officials authorized to register voters under authority of this section shall not be authorized to register voters who reside outside the boundaries of their respective counties except in those specific instances involving municipalities which lie within the boundaries of two or more counties. The State Board of Elections shall have authority to promulgate rules for the processing of voters in such instances.

(c)        All election officials, authorized by this section to register voters, shall register any qualified voter without regard to political party affiliation and without discrimination in any manner whatsoever.

(d)        The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules for the proper training of those persons qualifying under this act as registrars."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 163-72(c) and G.S. 163-74(b) are amended by adding the words "or judge of elections, or special library registration deputy" after the word "registrar".

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 6th day of May, 1975.