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Bill

SB 398

Prohibit Weapons at Voting Place.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Val Applewhite and 9 co-sponsors

Prohibits possessing or carrying dangerous weapons at polling places (within 100 feet of entrances or while in line) while the site is open; Class 1 misdemeanor; police exempt.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · SB 398

SB 398 — Prohibit Weapons at Voting Place

Status: Passed 1st Reading (introduced Feb 14, 2025). Enacted: approved by Governor Oct 2, 2025. Effective: December 1, 2025 (applies to offenses on or after that date).

Main purpose

To prohibit the possession or carriage (open or concealed) of dangerous weapons at or near locations used for voting, and while waiting in line to vote, to promote safety and order at polling places.

Key provisions

  • Prohibition: It is unlawful to possess or carry — whether openly or concealed — any “dangerous weapon”:
    • at a location used as a voting place;
    • within 100 feet of the door of entrance to a voting place; or
    • while in line to vote at a voting place.
  • Temporal scope: The prohibition applies only while the location is open and being used as a voting place.
  • Penalty: Violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
  • Exception: The prohibition does not apply to law enforcement officers acting in the discharge of official duties.
  • Definitions: The bill references existing law for key definitions:
    • “Dangerous weapon” as defined in G.S. 14‑277.2.
    • “Voting place” as defined in G.S. 163‑165.

Who is affected

  • Voters, poll workers, volunteers, and members of the public who might carry weapons (including those with concealed-carry permits) while at or near polling places.
  • Law enforcement officers (explicitly exempted when performing official duties).
  • Election officials and local law enforcement responsible for enforcing the prohibition.

Enforcement and penalties

  • Enforcement would be by local law enforcement under existing criminal procedures.
  • A conviction carries the consequences associated with a Class 1 misdemeanor under state law (the bill itself sets the misdemeanor classification; sentencing details follow the state’s misdemeanor statutes).

Timeline / procedural notes

  • Introduced: February 14, 2025 (passed 1st reading).
  • Enacted: Approved by the Governor Oct 2, 2025; Chaptered (Chapter 246, Statutes of 2025).
  • Effective date: December 1, 2025; applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Public-safety aim: Seeks to reduce the presence of weapons at polling sites during voting hours.
  • Operational effects: May require voter-education efforts (signage, outreach) and guidance for poll workers and law enforcement about the 100‑foot boundary and the temporal limit (only while the site is open).
  • Legal interactions: The measure relies on existing statutory definitions; implementation may raise standard enforcement and constitutional considerations that typically accompany restrictions on carrying weapons in public spaces (e.g., scope of “dangerous weapon,” interactions with concealed‑carry laws).

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

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