Vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper III

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires state election officials to stop collecting mail-in ballots after Election Day, even if they are mailed on time.

Highlights:

• Requires all ballots to be transmitted by mail, at the voter’s expense, or delivered in person and received by the county board no later than 7:30 P.M. on the day of the county bond election, statewide primary, or general election (Sec. 1A).

• Prohibits ballots from being accepted if they are received later than 7:30 P.M. unless federal law so requires or the State Board extends the closing time of the polls for every polling station (Sec. 1A).

• Requires the county board of elections to prepare a list of the following (Sec. 1B):

• All issued absentee ballots returned to the county board of elections to be counted;

• All absentee ballots that have been approved by the county board of elections;

• All absentee ballots that have not been included on the certified list; and

• All absentee ballots that have been received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 P.M. on the day of the county bond election, statewide primary, or general election.

• Requires absentee ballots returned in the container-return envelopes to be retained and counted by the county board of elections as follows (Sec. 1C):

• The absentee ballot was returned no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election in a properly executed container-return envelope;

• The county board of elections shall meet at 5:00 p.m. on election day in the country courthouse to count all absentee ballots except those that have been challenged;

• The county board of elections may begin counting absentee ballots issued under this article between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and all absentee ballots between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.;

• If a political party does not have a member of the county board of elections present to count the absentee ballots due to any cause, the counting shall not commence until the county party chair of the absent member is present; and

• The county board of elections shall meet after election day to determine whether the container-return envelopes for absentee ballots were properly executed.

• Authorizes the absentee ballot of any voter received by the county board of elections to be challenged on the day of any county bond election, statewide primary, or the general election no earlier than noon and ending at 5 P.M. (Sec. 1D).

• Requires each county board of elections and the State Board to publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date absentee ballots are available for voting (Sec. 2A).

• Requires each county board of elections and the State Board to publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date a completed request form must be received by the county board of elections (Sec. 2B).

• Requires each county board of elections to report the following to the State Board during the early voting period (Sec. 3A):

• The number of spoiled absentee ballots due to in-person voting; and

• The number of outstanding absentee ballots.

• Requires each county board of elections to report the following to the State Board by 5:00 P.M. each day from the day after the election through the day after the receipt deadline (Sec. 3B):

• The number of counted absentee ballots;

• The number of outstanding absentee ballots; and

• The number of voted provisional ballots.

• Requires the State Board to publish each report received by the county board of elections to its website each day (Sec. 3C).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires state election officials to stop collecting mail-in ballots after Election Day, even if they are mailed on time.

Highlights:

• Requires all ballots to be transmitted by mail, at the voter’s expense, or delivered in person and received by the county board no later than 7:30 P.M. on the day of the county bond election, statewide primary, or general election (Sec. 1A).

• Prohibits ballots from being accepted if they are received later than 7:30 P.M. unless federal law so requires or the State Board extends the closing time of the polls for every polling station (Sec. 1A).

• Requires the county board of elections to prepare a list of the following (Sec. 1B):

• All issued absentee ballots returned to the county board of elections to be counted;

• All absentee ballots that have been approved by the county board of elections;

• All absentee ballots that have not been included on the certified list; and

• All absentee ballots that have been received by the county board of elections no later than 7:30 P.M. on the day of the county bond election, statewide primary, or general election.

• Requires absentee ballots returned in the container-return envelopes to be retained and counted by the county board of elections as follows (Sec. 1C):

• The absentee ballot was returned no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election in a properly executed container-return envelope;

• The county board of elections shall meet at 5:00 p.m. on election day in the country courthouse to count all absentee ballots except those that have been challenged;

• The county board of elections may begin counting absentee ballots issued under this article between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and all absentee ballots between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.;

• If a political party does not have a member of the county board of elections present to count the absentee ballots due to any cause, the counting shall not commence until the county party chair of the absent member is present; and

• The county board of elections shall meet after election day to determine whether the container-return envelopes for absentee ballots were properly executed.

• Authorizes the absentee ballot of any voter received by the county board of elections to be challenged on the day of any county bond election, statewide primary, or the general election no earlier than noon and ending at 5 P.M. (Sec. 1D).

• Requires each county board of elections and the State Board to publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date absentee ballots are available for voting (Sec. 2A).

• Requires each county board of elections and the State Board to publish on its website and on any materials sent to voters the date a completed request form must be received by the county board of elections (Sec. 2B).

• Requires each county board of elections to report the following to the State Board during the early voting period (Sec. 3A):

• The number of spoiled absentee ballots due to in-person voting; and

• The number of outstanding absentee ballots.

• Requires each county board of elections to report the following to the State Board by 5:00 P.M. each day from the day after the election through the day after the receipt deadline (Sec. 3B):

• The number of counted absentee ballots;

• The number of outstanding absentee ballots; and

• The number of voted provisional ballots.

• Requires the State Board to publish each report received by the county board of elections to its website each day (Sec. 3C).

Full Bill Text