GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
H	1
HOUSE BILL 1046
     

 
Short Title:	Data by Precinct.	()	
Sponsors:	Representatives Alexander; and Wainwright.	
Referred to:	Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform.	
April 10, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to improve the accuracy and understandability of precinct data. 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 12A of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 163-132.5G. Voting data maintained by precinct.
Each county board of elections shall maintain voting data by precinct so that precinct returns for each item on the ballot shall include the votes cast by all residents of the precinct, including transfer voters and those who voted by provisional ballot, by curbside ballot, and by absentee ballot, both mail and one-stop. The State Board of Elections shall promulgate rules for the enforcement of this section so that its provisions are put into effect without compromising the secrecy of the ballot."
SECTION 2.  Article 12A of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 163-132.5H. State Board of Elections to develop standards for naming precincts.
The State Board of Elections shall develop standards for naming precincts. Those standards shall facilitate the study of historical voter registration and voting data by such means as the following:
(1)	Preventing reassignment of precinct names or numbers where that reassignment would frustrate comparison of precinct data over the years.
(2)	Mandating that precincts that result from splitting larger precincts be given names that indicate the precincts' history as part of the larger precincts.
The county boards of elections shall adhere to those standards in their official references to precincts and in their reports concerning precinct boundaries, voter registration, and voting data to the State Board of Elections and to the Legislative Services Office. In other contexts, this section does not prohibit a county board from using informal names for precincts where appropriate."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law, except that data from provisional and absentee voting is not required to be provided by precincts until the 2002 general election.