Signed by Governor Bev Perdue

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that amends requirements regarding election campaigning and financing.

Highlights:

-Defines "coordinated expenditure" to mean an expenditure that is made in concert or cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate campaign committee, the agent of the candidate, or the agent of the candidate campaign committee (Sec. 1). -Defines "electioneering communication" to mean any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, or mass mailing, or telephone back that has all of the following characteristics (Sec. 1):

-Refers to a clearly identified candidate for elected office; -Is aired or transmitted within 60 days of the time set for absentee voting to begin in an election for that office; and -May be received by either 50,000 or more individuals in the Sate in an election for statewide office or 7,500 or more individuals in any other election if in the form of broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, or may be received by 20,000 or more households, cumulative per election, in a statewide election or 2,500 households, cumulative per election, in any other election if in the form of mass mailing or telephone bank.

-Requires an individual, person, or other entity making independent expenditures in excess of $100 to file a statement including the principal occupation of the donor when (Sec. 2):

-The donor designates, requests, or suggests that the donation be used for an independent expenditure or for multiple independent expenditures, and the filer agrees to use the donation for an independent expenditure; -The filer expressly solicited the donor for a donation for making or paying for an independent expenditure; -The donor and the filer engaged in substantial written or oral discussion regarding the donor's making, donating, or paying for an independent expenditure; or -The donor or the filer knew or had reason to know of the filer's intent to make independent expenditures with the donation.

-Requires an individual or person that makes an independent expenditure to disclose by report to the State Board of Elections within 48 hours of incurring and expense of $5,000 or more or receiving a donation of $1,000 or more for making an independent expenditure before an election but after the period covered by the last report due before that election (Sec. 2). -Requires every individual or person that incurs an expense for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications over $5,000 to file the following reports (Sec. 3):

-The identification of the individual or person incurring the expense, of any individual or person sharing or exercising direction or control over the activities of that individual or person, and of the custodian of the books and accounts of the individual or person incurring the expense; -The principal place of business of the person incurring the expense; -The amount of each expense incurred during the period covered by the statement and the identification of the individual or person to whom the expense was incurred; -The elections to which the electioneering communications pertain and the names of the candidates identified or to be identified; and -The names and addresses of all entities that donated funds or anything of value whatsoever in an aggregate amount of more than $1,000 during the reporting period.

-Specifies that each media outlet must require written authority for each independent expenditure or electioneering communication to be deemed public records, and copies of those written authorizations will be available for inspection (Sec. 4). -Requires individuals who sponsor a print media advertisement in support or opposition of one or more candidates that is an independent expenditure or an electioneering communication print media advertisement to disclose the names of the individuals or persons making the five largest donations within the 6 month period prior to the purchase of the advertisement (Sec. 8). -Requires television and radio advertisements purchased by a sponsor which is a corporation that has the purpose of promoting social, educational, or political ideas to have a disclosure statement containing at least the following words "For donor information contact [Name of board of election with whom information filed]" (Sec. 9). -Requires disclosure statements for television and radio advertisements that are electioneering communications (Sec. 9). -Specifies that in the case of a runoff election there shall be no space for write-in votes included on the ballot (Sec. 15.5(a)).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends requirements regarding election campaigning and financing.

Highlights:

-Defines "coordinated expenditure" to mean an expenditure that is made in concert or cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate campaign committee, the agent of the candidate, or the agent of the candidate campaign committee (Sec. 1). -Defines "electioneering communication" to mean any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, or mass mailing, or telephone back that has all of the following characteristics (Sec. 1):

-Refers to a clearly identified candidate for elected office; -Is aired or transmitted within 60 days of the time set for absentee voting to begin in an election for that office; and -May be received by either 50,000 or more individuals in the Sate in an election for statewide office or 7,500 or more individuals in any other election if in the form of broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, or may be received by 20,000 or more households, cumulative per election, in a statewide election or 2,500 households, cumulative per election, in any other election if in the form of mass mailing or telephone bank.

-Requires an individual, person, or other entity making independent expenditures in excess of $100 to file a statement including the principal occupation of the donor when (Sec. 2):

-The donor designates, requests, or suggests that the donation be used for an independent expenditure or for multiple independent expenditures, and the filer agrees to use the donation for an independent expenditure; -The filer expressly solicited the donor for a donation for making or paying for an independent expenditure; -The donor and the filer engaged in substantial written or oral discussion regarding the donor's making, donating, or paying for an independent expenditure; or -The donor or the filer knew or had reason to know of the filer's intent to make independent expenditures with the donation.

-Requires an individual or person that makes an independent expenditure to disclose by report to the State Board of Elections within 48 hours of incurring and expense of $5,000 or more or receiving a donation of $1,000 or more for making an independent expenditure before an election but after the period covered by the last report due before that election (Sec. 2). -Requires every individual or person that incurs an expense for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications over $5,000 to file the following reports (Sec. 3):

-The identification of the individual or person incurring the expense, of any individual or person sharing or exercising direction or control over the activities of that individual or person, and of the custodian of the books and accounts of the individual or person incurring the expense; -The principal place of business of the person incurring the expense; -The amount of each expense incurred during the period covered by the statement and the identification of the individual or person to whom the expense was incurred; -The elections to which the electioneering communications pertain and the names of the candidates identified or to be identified; and -The names and addresses of all entities that donated funds or anything of value whatsoever in an aggregate amount of more than $1,000 during the reporting period.

-Specifies that each media outlet must require written authority for each independent expenditure or electioneering communication to be deemed public records, and copies of those written authorizations will be available for inspection (Sec. 4). -Requires individuals who sponsor a print media advertisement in support or opposition of one or more candidates that is an independent expenditure or an electioneering communication print media advertisement to disclose the names of the individuals or persons making the five largest donations within the 6 month period prior to the purchase of the advertisement (Sec. 8). -Requires television and radio advertisements purchased by a sponsor which is a corporation that has the purpose of promoting social, educational, or political ideas to have a disclosure statement containing at least the following words "For donor information contact [Name of board of election with whom information filed]" (Sec. 9). -Requires disclosure statements for television and radio advertisements that are electioneering communications (Sec. 9). -Specifies that in the case of a runoff election there shall be no space for write-in votes included on the ballot (Sec. 15.5(a)).

Full Bill Text