GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2019
SESSION LAW 2019-16
HOUSE BILL 1014
AN ACT to allow the state of north carolina to continue participation in the 2020 voting district verification project with the united states bureau of the census and to establish a process to review precinct lines in advance of the 2030 census.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 163A‑1065 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1065. Participation in the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program of the United States Census Bureau.
(a) Participation. – The State of North Carolina shall participate in the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program, conducted pursuant to P.L. 94‑171, of the United States Bureau of the Census, so that the State will receive 2020 Census data by voting districts.
(b) Reporting of Voting
Districts. – The Executive Director of the State Board Legislative
Services Officer shall report to the Bureau of the Census this State's
voting precincts as of January 1, 2018, precincts, which shall be
based upon the 2010 Census block boundaries, to be used in developing the
geography for the 2020 Census as voting districts. Before making that
report, the Executive Director shall consult with the Legislative Services
Office concerning the accuracy of the information to be reported. The Executive
Director shall submit The Executive Director shall approve and the
Legislative Services Officer shall submit the report to the Bureau of the
Census in time to comply with the deadlines of that Bureau for the 2020 Census
Redistricting Data Program. The Executive Director, with the assistance of
the county boards of elections, Legislative Services Officer shall
participate in the Bureau of the Census's verification program and notify the
Bureau of the Census of any errors in the entry of the voting districts in time
for those errors to be corrected.
(c) Additional Rules. – The Executive Director and
the Legislative Services Officer shall develop a systematic method for
review and input by the Legislative Services Office prior to provide a
copy of the submission required by subsection (b) of this section.section
to the Executive Director and to the
chair of each political party recognized under G.S. 163A-950. The Legislative
Services Officer shall also, at the time of the report to Bureau of the Census,
post the report on the Web site of the General Assembly."
SECTION 2. Section 7(c) of S.L. 2016‑109 is repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 7(d) of S.L. 2016‑109 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 7.(d) On
or before July 1, 2019, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections
shall provide each county board of elections with a copy of the submission
provided in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1065 with respect to that
county. The county boards of election,
shall, on or before November 1, 2017, October 1, 2019, report to
the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections and the Legislative
Services Officer any requested changes to in the precinct
boundaries to be used in elections held on or after January 1, 2018. The
State Board of Elections shall develop criteria for the county boards of
elections to use in developing proposed precinct boundaries, shall notify the
county boards of elections of the requirement to submit proposed changes, and
shall facilitate the county boards of elections in developing proposed boundary
changes. The State Board of Elections shall consult with the Legislative
Services Office about the proposed changes to precinct boundaries in a timely
and systemic manner in order to accommodate submitting a statewide map of
updated precinct boundaries reported to the Bureau of the Census for
the Phase 2 Voting District Project. Upon receipt of the responses from the
county boards of elections regarding the voting districts geography from
the Bureau of the Census for the 2020 Census, the Executive Director of
the State Board of Elections and the Legislative Services Office Officer,
in conjunction with the Executive Director of the State Board, shall
determine if any alterations to the precinct boundaries are needed in order
to comply with G.S. 163‑132.3(a1)(1), as enacted by Section 8(a) of
this act.needed."
SECTION 4.(a) G.S. 163A‑1071 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1071. Alterations to approved precinct boundaries.
(a) No county board of elections may change any precinct boundary unless approved by the Executive Director of the State Board.
(b) The To be used
by the Executive Director and the county boards of elections in changing
precinct boundaries in accordance with this section, the State Board shall
set uniform standards for precinct boundaries that the county boards of
elections shall follow. Any uniform standards for precinct boundaries set by
the State Board shall comply with all of the following:
(1) Precinct boundaries shall
coincide with Census block boundaries.boundaries, as set forth in the
TIGER/Line Shapefiles associated with the most recent federal
decennial census.
(2) Precincts shall consist solely of contiguous territory.
(3) Precincts shall consist of territory and population that allows for efficient and accurate administration of elections, taking into consideration available polling places and access to polling places.
(4) The county shall be able to reallocate any out of precinct ballots cast by a voter to the precinct associated with that voter's voter registration for purposes of reporting the results of an election.
(c) The county board of elections shall report every change in precinct boundary to the Executive Director in a format required by the Executive Director.
No newly created or altered
precinct boundary is effective until approved by the Executive Director of
the State Board as being in compliance with this section.
(d) The Executive Director of
the State Board shall examine the maps of the proposed new or altered
precincts and any required written descriptions. If the Executive Director of
the State Board determines that all precinct boundaries are in compliance
with this section, the Executive Director of the State Board shall
approve the maps and written descriptions as filed and these precincts shall be
the official precincts for voting.
(e) If the Executive
Director of the State Board determines that the proposed precinct
boundaries are not in compliance with subsection (b) of this section, the
Executive Director shall not approve those proposed precinct boundaries.
The Executive Director shall notify the county board of elections of the
disapproval specifying the reasons. The county board of elections may then
resubmit new proposed precinct maps and written descriptions to cure the
reasons for the disapproval."
SECTION 4.(b) This section becomes effective January 1, 2020.
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 28th day of May, 2019.
s/ Philip E. Berger
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
s/ Tim Moore
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Roy Cooper
Governor
Approved 1:00 p.m. this 29th day of May, 2019