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Bill Summary · HB 825

Summary — HB 825 ("Election Improvements")

Status: Passed 1st Reading (filed 11/12/2024). Bill language amends North Carolina election law (multiple provisions); effective on enactment and applies to elections held on or after that date.

Purpose
- To change several election procedures and requirements: prohibit ranked‑choice voting, clarify where and how election‑related activity may occur near polling places, shorten the early voting window, and revise identification/verification requirements tied to absentee ballot requests and returned absentee ballots.

Key provisions (by topic and statute)
1. Ranked‑choice voting (new G.S. 163‑165.6A)
- Explicitly prohibits use of ranked‑choice voting in any referendum, primary, election, or appointment to a board or commission. Defines ranked‑choice voting as allowing voters to rank candidates by preference.

  1. Buffer zones and election‑related activity (amends G.S. 163‑166.4)

    • Requires each county board of elections to provide an area adjacent to (adjoining) the buffer zone at each polling place where persons/groups may engage in election‑related activity (canvassing, distributing literature, signage, etc.), subject to other restrictions.
    • Requires county boards to publish, no later than 30 days before each election, for each voting place: the door used to measure the buffer zone, the buffer zone distance, and information about where political activity and sign placement is permitted beyond the buffer zone.

  2. Early voting window (amends G.S. 163‑166.40(b))

    • Shortens the allowable start of in‑person early voting at county election offices from “not earlier than the third Thursday before an election” to “not earlier than the second Thursday before an election” — effectively reducing the early voting period by about one week for the period conducted at county offices.
    • Requires counties to conduct early voting on the last Saturday before the election from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

  3. Absentee ballot identification and request forms (amends G.S. 163‑230.1(g) and G.S. 163‑230.2(a))

    • Directs the State Board to adopt rules specifying acceptable forms of identification to include with returned absentee applications and ballots. At minimum, rules must allow: acceptable photocopies of readable ID and an alternative affidavit process when a voter cannot attach a physical copy.
    • The alternative affidavit may treat inability to attach a physical ID copy as a “reasonable impediment,” but must include the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number and one additional identifier (examples in the text include the voter’s NC driver’s license number, NC special identification card number, or the voter’s date of birth).
    • The absentee ballot request form is revised to require the last four digits of the applicant’s Social Security number and one of the specified additional identifiers (driver’s license number, special ID number, or last four digits of SSN/date of birth), plus other standard fields (name, residence, mailing address, signature, election date indicator). Telephone and email remain optional.

Who is affected
- Voters in North Carolina (especially early voters and absentee voters)
- County boards of elections and the State Board of Elections (administration, notice, and rulemaking duties)
- Candidates, campaigns, and third‑party groups (placement of campaign activity near polling places)
- Any local bodies or jurisdictions considering adoption of ranked‑choice systems (those would be barred)

Procedural / timeline notes
- The bill takes effect upon becoming law and applies to elections held on or after that date.
- As drafted, county boards must publish buffer‑zone information at least 30 days prior to each election.
- The State Board must adopt implementing rules for acceptable ID and alternative affidavits.

Potential impacts (practical effects)
- Reduces the early in‑person voting period by roughly one week for county office voting, which could affect voter access and election administration workload.
- Tightens uniformity of identification and verification for absentee ballots by specifying acceptable identifiers and an alternative affidavit pathway.
- Clarifies where campaign activity may occur in relation to buffer zones and increases transparency by requiring pre‑election notices.
- Prevents jurisdictions within the State from adopting ranked‑choice voting for covered contests.

Note: This summary reflects the provisions presented in the bill draft amending North Carolina General Statutes (sections cited above).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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