A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to amend the laws governing mail‑in absentee ballots, TO RESTORE THE LAST SATURDAY OF EARLY ONE‑STOP VOTING, and to extend the time by which county boards of election need to replace direct record electronic voting equipment under certain CONDITIONS AND TO TEMPORARILY AUTHORIZE A COUNTY TO TEST NEW VOTING EQUIPMENT DURING A SIMULATED ELECTION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1306, as amended by Section 3.4(h) of S.L. 2018‑144, reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1306.  Register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued; a public record.
(a)	With respect to each request for mail‑in absentee ballots, the State Board shall approve an official register in which the county board of elections in each county of the State shall record the following information:
(1)	Name of voter for whom application and ballots are being requested, and, if applicable, the name and address of the voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian who requested the application and ballots for the voter.
(2)	Number of assigned voter's application when issued.
(3)	Precinct in which the applicant is registered.
(4)	Address to which ballots are to be mailed.
(5)	Date request for application for ballots is received by the county board of elections.
(6)	The voter's party affiliation.
(7)	The date the ballots were mailed or delivered to the voter.
(8)	Whatever additional information and official action may be required by this Part.
(b)	With respect to each early "one‑stop" absentee ballot voted under G.S. 163A‑1300, 163A‑1302, 163A‑1303, or 163A‑1304, the State Board shall approve an official register in which the county board of elections in each county of the State shall record the following information:
(1)	Name of voter for whom application and ballots are being requested.
(2)	Number of assigned voter's application when issued.
(3)	The precinct in which the voter is registered.
(4)	The date the voter voted early "one‑stop."
(5)	The voter's party affiliation.
(6)	Whatever additional information and official action may be required by this Part.
(c)	The State Board may provide for the official registers required by this section to be kept by electronic data processing equipment.
(d)	Each register of absentee requests under this section shall constitute a public record. Each official register shall be opened to the inspection of any registered voter of the county within 60 days before and 30 days after an election in which absentee ballots were authorized, or at any other time when good and sufficient reason may be assigned for its inspection."
SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 163A‑1313 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1313.  Applications for absentee ballots; how retained.
(a)	The county board of elections shall retain, in a safe place, the original of all applications made for absentee ballots, which shall be available to inspection by the State Board or to any person upon the directive of the State Board. Any copies of any photographic identification associated with the absentee ballots shall not be a public record.
(b)	The county board of elections shall create a list of applications made for absentee ballots received by the county board, which shall be updated daily from the date the county board begins to mail application and ballots through the date of canvass. Such list shall be a public record.
(c)	All applications for absentee ballots shall be retained by the county board of elections for a period of one year after which those applications may be destroyed."
SECTION 1.(c)  G.S. 163A‑871(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Official Record. – The State voter registration system is the official voter registration list for the conduct of all elections in the State. The State Board and the county board of elections may keep copies of voter registration data, including voter registration applications, in any medium and format expressly approved by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources pursuant to standards and conditions established by the Department and mutually agreed to by the Department and the State Board. A completed and signed registration application form, if available, described in G.S. 163A‑862, once approved by the county board of elections, becomes backup to the official registration record of the voter.
(a1)	Personal Identifying Information. – Full or partial social security numbers, dates of birth, the identity of the public agency at which the voter registered under G.S. 163A‑884, any electronic mail address submitted under this Article or Article 21 of this Chapter, photocopies of identification for voting, and drivers license numbers, whether held by the State Board or a county board of elections, are confidential and shall not be considered public records and subject to disclosure to the general public under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. Cumulative data based on those items of information may be publicly disclosed as long as information about any individual cannot be discerned from the disclosed data. Disclosure of information in violation of this subsection shall not give rise to a civil cause of action. This limitation of liability does not apply to the disclosure of information in violation of this subsection as a result of gross negligence, wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing that would otherwise be actionable.
(a2)	Voter's Signatures. – The signature of the voter, either on the paper application or an electronically captured image of it, whether held by the State Board or a county board of elections, may be viewed by the public but may not be copied or traced except by election officials for election administration purposes. Any such copy or tracing is not a public record."
SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1308(h), as amended by S.L. 2018‑144, is recodified as G.S. 163A‑1295(f).
SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 163A‑1308, as amended by S.L. 2018‑144 and this act, reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1308.  Simultaneous issuance of absentee ballots with application.
(a)	Written Request. – A qualified voter who is eligible to vote by absentee ballot under G.S. 163A‑1295, or that voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian, shall complete a request form for an absentee application and absentee ballots so that the county board of elections receives that completed request form not later than 5:00 P.M. on the Tuesday before the election. That completed written request form shall be in compliance with G.S. 163A‑1309. The county board of elections shall enter in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued the information required in G.S. 163A‑1306 as soon as each item of that information becomes available. Upon receiving the completed request form, the county board of elections shall cause to be mailed to that voter a single package that includes all of the following:
(1)	The official ballots the voter is entitled to vote.
(2)	A container‑return envelope for the ballots, printed in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1307.
(3)	An instruction sheet.
(a1)	Mailing of Application and Ballots. – The ballots, envelope, and instructions shall be mailed to the voter by the county board's chair, member, officer, or employee as determined by the board and entered in the register as provided by this Part.
(b)	Absence for Sickness or Physical Disability. – Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, if a voter expects to be unable to go to the voting place to vote in person on election day because of that voter's sickness or other physical disability, that voter or that voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian may make the request for absentee ballots in person to the board of elections of the county in which the voter is registered after 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election but not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election. The county board of elections shall treat that completed request form in the same manner as a request under subsection (a) of this section but may personally deliver the application and ballots to the voter or that voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian, and shall enter in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued the information required in G.S. 163A‑1306 as soon as each item of that information becomes available. The county board of elections shall personally deliver to the requester in a single package:
(1)	The official ballots the voter is entitled to vote.
(2)	A container‑return envelope for the ballots, printed in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1307.
(3)	An instruction sheet.
(c)	Delivery of Absentee Ballots and Container‑Return Envelope to Applicant. – When the county board of elections receives a completed request form for applications and absentee ballots from the voter, or the near relative or the verifiable legal guardian of that voter, the county board shall promptly issue and transmit them to the voter in accordance with the following instructions:
(1)	On the top margin of each ballot the applicant is entitled to vote, the chair, a member, officer, or employee of the board of elections shall write or type the words "Absentee Ballot No. ____ " or an abbreviation approved by the State Board and insert in the blank space the number assigned the applicant's application in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued. That person shall not write, type, or print any other matter upon the ballots transmitted to the absentee voter. Alternatively, the board of elections may cause to be barcoded on the ballot the voter's application number, if that barcoding system is approved by the State Board.
(2)	The chair, member, officer, or employee of the board of elections shall fold and place the ballots (identified in accordance with the preceding instruction) in a container‑return envelope and write or type in the appropriate blanks thereon, in accordance with the terms of G.S. 163A‑1307(b), the absentee voter's name, the absentee voter's application number, and the designation of the precinct in which the voter is registered. If the ballot is barcoded under this section, the envelope may be barcoded rather than having the actual number appear. The person placing the ballots in the envelopes shall leave the container‑return envelope holding the ballots unsealed.
(3)	The chair, member, officer, or employee of the board of elections shall then place the unsealed container‑return envelope holding the ballots together with printed instructions for voting and returning the ballots, in an envelope addressed to the voter at the post office address stated in the request, seal the envelope, and mail it at the expense of the county board of elections: Provided, that in case of a request received after 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, in lieu of transmitting the ballots to the voter in person or by mail, the chair, member, officer, or employee of the board of elections may deliver the sealed envelope containing the instruction sheet and the container‑return envelope holding the ballots to a near relative or verifiable legal guardian of the voter.
The county board of elections may receive completed written request forms for applications at any time prior to the election but shall not mail applications and ballots to the voter or issue applications and ballots in person earlier than 60 days prior to the statewide general election in an even‑numbered year, or earlier than 50 days prior to any other election, except as provided in G.S. 163A‑1300, 163A‑1302, 163A‑1303, and 163A‑1304. No election official shall issue applications for absentee ballots except in compliance with this Part.
(d)	Voter to Complete. – The application shall be completed and signed by the voter personally, the ballots marked, the ballots sealed in the container‑return envelope, and the certificate completed as provided in G.S. 163A‑1310.
(e)	Approval of Applications. – At its next official meeting after return of the completed container‑return envelope with the voter's ballots, the county board of elections shall determine whether the container‑return envelope has been properly executed. If the board determines that the container‑return envelope has been properly executed, it shall approve the application and deposit the container‑return envelope with other container‑return envelopes for the envelope to be opened and the ballots counted at the same time as all other container‑return envelopes and absentee ballots.
(f)	Required Meeting of County Board of Elections. – During the period commencing on the third Tuesday before an election, in which absentee ballots are authorized, the county board of elections shall hold one or more public meetings each Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. for the purpose of action on applications for absentee ballots. At these meetings, the county board of elections shall pass upon applications for absentee ballots.
If the county board of elections changes the time of holding its meetings or provides for additional meetings in accordance with the terms of this subsection, notice of the change in hour and notice of the schedule of additional meetings, if any, shall be published in a newspaper circulated in the county at least 30 days prior to the election.
At the time the county board of elections makes its decision on an application for absentee ballots, the board shall enter in the appropriate column in the register of absentee requests, applications, and ballots issued opposite the name of the applicant a notation of whether the applicant's application was "Approved" or "Disapproved".
The decision of the board on the validity of an application for absentee ballots shall be final subject only to such review as may be necessary in the event of an election contest. The county board of elections shall constitute the proper official body to pass upon the validity of all applications for absentee ballots received in the county; this function shall not be performed by the chair or any other member of the board individually.
(g)	Rules. – The State Board, by rule or by instruction to the county board of elections, shall establish procedures to provide appropriate safeguards in the implementation of this section."
SECTION 3.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1309, as amended by S.L. 2018‑144, reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1309.  Method of requesting absentee ballots.
(a)	Valid Types of Written Requests. – A completed written request form for absentee ballots as required by G.S. 163A‑1308 is valid only if it is on a form created by the State Board and signed by the voter requesting absentee ballots or that voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian. The State Board shall make the form available at its offices, online, and in each county board of elections office, and that form may be reproduced. The request form created by the State Board shall require at least the following information:
(1)	The name and address of the residence of the voter.
(2)	The name and address of the voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian if that individual is making the request.
(3)	The address of the voter to which the application and absentee ballots are to be mailed if different from the residence address of the voter.
(4)	The identification required in accordance with State Board rules, as provided in subsection (f) of this section.
(5)	The voter's date of birth.
(6)	The signature of the voter or of the voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian if that individual is making the request.
(7)	A clear indicator of the date the election generating the request is to be held, except for annual calendar year requests in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1295(b).
(b)	Request to Update Voter Registration. – A completed request form for absentee ballots shall be deemed a request to update the official record of voter registration for that voter and shall be confirmed in writing in accordance with G.S. 163A‑877(d).
(c)	Return of Request. – The completed request form for absentee ballots shall be delivered to the county board of elections only by any of the following:
(1)	The voter.
(2)	The voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian.
(3)	A member of a multipartisan team trained and authorized by the county board of elections pursuant to G.S. 163A‑1298.
(d)	Confirmation of Voter Registration. – Upon receiving a completed request form for absentee ballots, the county board shall confirm that voter's registration. If that voter is confirmed as a registered voter of the county, the absentee ballots and certification form shall be mailed to the voter, unless personally delivered in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1308(b). If the voter's official record of voter registration conflicts with the completed request form for absentee ballots or cannot be confirmed, the voter shall be so notified. If the county board cannot resolve the differences, no application or absentee ballots shall be issued.
(e)	Invalid Types of Written Requests. – If a county board of elections receives a request for absentee ballots that does not comply with this subsection or subsection (a) of this section, the board shall not issue an application and ballots under G.S. 163A‑1308. A request for absentee ballots is not valid if any of the following apply:
(1)	The completed written request is not on a form created by the State Board.
(2)	The completed written request is completed, partially or in whole, or signed by anyone other than the voter, or the voter's near relative or verifiable legal guardian. A member of a multipartisan team trained and authorized by the county board of elections pursuant to G.S. 163A‑1298 may assist in completion of the request.
(3)	The written request does not contain all of the information required by subsection (a) of this section.
(4)	The completed written request is returned to the county board by someone other than a person listed in subsection (c) of this section, the United States Postal Service, or a designated delivery service authorized pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7502(f)(2).
(e1)	Assistance by Others. – If a voter is in need of assistance completing the written request form due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write and there is not a near relative or legal guardian available to assist that voter, the voter may request some other person to give assistance notwithstanding any other provision of this section. If another person gives assistance in completing the written request form, that person's name and address shall be disclosed on the written request form in addition to the information listed in subsection (a) of this section.
(f)	Rules by State Board. – The State Board shall adopt rules for the enforcement of this section, including rules to provide for the forms of identification that shall be included with the completed written request for absentee ballots. At a minimum, the rules shall include the following:
(1)	Acceptable photocopies of forms of readable identification, as described in G.S. 163A‑1145.1.
(2)	A process for a voter without acceptable photocopies of forms of readable identification under subdivision (1) of this subsection to complete an alternative affidavit in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1(d)(1), (d)(2), or (d)(3) that includes inability to attach a physical copy of the voter's identification with the written request as a reasonable impediment to compliance with the identification requirement. If a reasonable impediment under this subdivision states inability to attach a physical copy of the voter's identification with the written request, the reasonable impediment shall include one of the following:
a.	The number of the voter's North Carolina drivers license issued under Article 2 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes, including a learner's permit or a provisional license.
b.	The number of the voter's special identification card for nonoperators issued under G.S. 20‑37.7.
c.	The last four digits of the applicant's social security number.
	"
SECTION 3.(b)  G.S. 163A‑1295(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Annual Request by Person With Sickness or Physical Disability. – If the applicant reports that the voter has a sickness or physical disability that is expected to last the remainder of the calendar year, the voter may request to vote by mail‑in absentee ballot for all of the primaries and elections held during the calendar year when the completed written request under G.S. 163A‑1308 is received."
SECTION 3.(c)  G.S. 20‑30(6) reads as rewritten:
"(6)	To make a color photocopy or otherwise make a color reproduction of a drivers license, learner's permit, or special identification card which has been color‑photocopied or otherwise reproduced in color, unless such color photocopy or other color reproduction was authorized by the Commissioner or is made to comply with G.S. 163A‑1309. It shall be lawful to make a black and white photocopy of a drivers license, learner's permit, or special identification card or otherwise make a black and white reproduction of a drivers license, learner's permit, or special identification card."
SECTION 3.(d)  On or before May 1, 2020, the State Board of Elections shall report to the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee and the General Assembly as to its plans to implement Sections 2 and 3 of this act and any recommendations for statutory changes necessary to implement these provisions.
SECTION 3.1.  G.S. 163A‑1307(b), as amended by S.L. 2018‑144, reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Application on Container‑Return Envelope. – In time for use not later than 60 days before a statewide general election in an even‑numbered year, and not later than 50 days before a statewide primary, other general election or county bond election, the county board of elections shall print a sufficient number of envelopes in which persons casting absentee ballots may transmit their marked ballots to the county board of elections. However, in the case of municipal elections, sufficient container‑return envelopes shall be made available no later than 30 days before an election. Each container‑return envelope shall have printed on it an application which shall be designed and prescribed by the State Board, providing for all of the following:
(1)	The voter's certification of eligibility to vote the enclosed ballot and of having voted the enclosed ballot in accordance with this Part.
(2)	A space for identification of the envelope with the voter and the voter's signature.
(3)	A space for the identification of the two persons witnessing the casting of the absentee ballot in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1310, those persons' signatures, and those persons' addresses.
(4)	A space for the name and address of any person who, as permitted under G.S. 163A‑1298(a), assisted the voter if the voter is unable to complete and sign the certification and that individual's signature.
(5)	A space for approval by the county board of elections.
(6)	A space to allow reporting of a change of name as provided by G.S. 163A‑880.
(7)	A prominent display of the unlawful acts under G.S. 163A‑1298 and G.S. 163A‑1389, except if there is not room on the envelope, the State Board may provide for that disclosure to be made on a separate piece of paper to be included along with the container‑return envelope.
(8)	An area to attach additional documentation necessary to comply with the identification requirements in accordance with State Board rules, as provided in G.S. 163A‑1309.
The container‑return envelope shall be printed in accordance with the instructions of the State Board, which shall prohibit the display of the voter's party affiliation on the outside of the container‑return envelope."
SECTION 4.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1317 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1317.  Certain violations of absentee ballot law made criminal offenses.
(a)	False Statements under Oath Made Class 1 Misdemeanor. – If any person shall willfully and falsely make any affidavit or statement, under oath, which affidavit or statement under oath, is required to be made by the provisions of this Part, that person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(b)	False Statements Not under Oath Made Class 1 Misdemeanor. – Except as provided by G.S. 163A‑1389(16), if any person, for the purpose of obtaining or voting any official ballot under the provisions of this Part, shall willfully sign any printed or written false statement which does not purport to be under oath, or which, if it purports to be under oath, was not duly sworn to, that person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(c)	Candidate Witnessing Absentee Ballots of Nonrelative Made Class 1 Misdemeanor. – A person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if that person acts as a witness under G.S. 163A‑1310(a) in any primary or election in which the person is a candidate for nomination or election, unless the voter is the candidate's near relative as defined in G.S. 163A‑1308(h).
(d)	Fraud in Connection with Absentee Vote; Forgery. – Any person attempting to aid and abet fraud in connection with any absentee vote cast or to be cast, under the provisions of this Part, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Attempting to vote by fraudulently signing the name of a regularly qualified voter is a Class G felony.
(d1)	Sell or Attempt to Sell Completed Absentee Ballot. – Any person who sells or attempts to sell, or purchases or agrees to purchase, a completed written request, a completed application for absentee ballots, or voted absentee ballots shall be guilty of a Class I felony.
(d2)	Destruction of Absentee Ballot. – Any person who intentionally, with the intent of obstructing a vote by a registered voter, fails to deliver or intentionally destroys a completed written request, a completed application for absentee ballots, or voted absentee ballots shall be guilty of a Class G felony.
(d3)	Copies or Retention of Identifying Information. – Any person, other than the voter or near relative or verifiable legal guardian of that voter, who copies or otherwise retains the request for absentee ballots, a completed application for absentee ballots, or any identifying information, as defined in G.S. 14‑113.20, disclosed in a request or application shall be guilty of a Class G felony.
(d4)	Compensation Based on Requests. – Any person who compensates another, or who accepts compensation, based on the number of returned written requests for absentee ballots under G.S. 163A‑1309 shall be guilty of a Class I felony.
(d5)	Intent to Unlawfully Influence. – Any person who commits, attempts to commit, or conspires to commit a crime identified in G.S. 163A‑865(b), 163A‑1298(a), 163A‑1388, 163A‑1389, or this section with the intent to unlawfully influence or interfere with a primary or election, or to otherwise unlawfully gain, shall be guilty of a Class F felony.
(e)	Violations Not Otherwise Provided for Made Class 1 Misdemeanors. – If any person shall willfully violate any of the provisions of this Part, or willfully fail to comply with any of the provisions thereof, for which no other punishment is herein provided, that person shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor."
SECTION 4.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2019, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
SECTION 5.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1300(b), as amended by S.L. 2018‑144, reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Not earlier than the third Thursday before an election, in which absentee ballots are authorized, in which a voter seeks to vote and not later than 2:00 P.M. on the last Saturday before that election, the voter shall appear in person only at the office of the county board of elections, except as provided in G.S. 163A‑1303. A county board of elections shall conduct one‑stop voting on the last Saturday before the election from 8:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. on that Saturday. That voter shall enter the voting enclosure at the board office through the appropriate entrance and shall at once state his or her name and place of residence to an authorized member or employee of the board and present photo identification in accordance with G.S. 163A‑1145.1. In a primary election, the voter shall also state the political party with which the voter affiliates and in whose primary the voter desires to vote, or if the voter is an unaffiliated voter permitted to vote in the primary of a particular party under G.S. 163A‑989, the voter shall state the name of the authorizing political party in whose primary he wishes to vote. The board member or employee to whom the voter gives this information shall announce the name and residence of the voter in a distinct tone of voice. After examining the registration records, an employee of the board shall state whether the person seeking to vote is duly registered. If the voter is found to be registered that voter may request that the authorized member or employee of the board furnish the voter with an application form as specified in G.S. 163A‑1391. The voter shall complete the application in the presence of the authorized member or employee of the board, and shall deliver the application to that person."
SECTION 5.(b)  G.S. 163A‑1303, as amended by S.L. 2018‑144 and S.L. 2019‑22, reads as rewritten:
"§ 163A‑1303.  Sites and hours for one‑stop voting.
(a)	Notwithstanding any other provision of G.S. 163A‑1300, 163A‑1302, this section, and G.S. 163A‑1304, a county board of elections by unanimous vote of all its members may provide for one or more sites in that county for absentee ballots to be applied for and cast under these sections. Every individual staffing any of those sites shall be a member or full‑time employee of the county board of elections or an employee of the county board of elections whom the board has given training equivalent to that given a full‑time employee. Those sites must be approved by the State Board as part of a Plan for Implementation approved by both the county board of elections and by the State Board which shall also provide adequate security of the ballots and provisions to avoid allowing persons to vote who have already voted. The Plan for Implementation shall include a provision for the presence of political party observers at each one‑stop site equivalent to the provisions in G.S. 163A‑821 for party observers at voting places on election day. A county board of elections may propose in its Plan not to offer one‑stop voting at the county board of elections office; the State Board may approve that proposal in a Plan only if the Plan includes at least one site reasonably proximate to the county board of elections office and the State Board finds that the sites in the Plan as a whole provide adequate coverage of the county's electorate. If a county board of elections has considered a proposed Plan or Plans for Implementation and has been unable to reach unanimity in favor of a Plan, a member or members of that county board of elections may petition the State Board to adopt a plan for it. If petitioned, the State Board may also receive and consider alternative petitions from another member or members of that county board. The State Board may adopt a Plan for that county. The State Board, in that plan, shall take into consideration whether the Plan disproportionately favors any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.
(b)	The State Board shall not approve, either in a Plan approved unanimously by a county board of elections or in an alternative Plan proposed by a member or members of that board, a one‑stop site in a building that the county board of elections is not entitled under G.S. 163A‑1046 to demand and use as an election‑day voting place, unless the State Board finds that other equally suitable sites were not available and that the use of the sites chosen will not disproportionately favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate. In providing the site or sites for one‑stop absentee voting under G.S. 163A‑1300, 163A‑1302, this section, and G.S. 163A‑1304, the county board of elections shall make a request to the State, county, city, local school board, or other entity in control of the building that is supported or maintained, in whole or in part, by or through tax revenues at least 90 days prior to the start of one‑stop absentee voting under these sections. The request shall clearly identify the building, or any specific portion thereof, requested the dates and times for which that building or specific portion thereof is requested and the requirement of an area for election related activity. If the State, local governing board, or other entity in control of the building does not respond to the request within 20 days, the building or specific portion thereof may be used for one‑stop absentee voting as stated in the request. If the State, local governing board, or other entity in control of the building or specific portion thereof responds negatively to the request within 20 days, that entity and the county board of elections shall, in good faith, work to identify a building or specific portion thereof in which to conduct one‑stop absentee voting under G.S. 163A‑1300, 163A‑1302, this section, and G.S. 163A‑1304. If no building or specific portion thereof has been agreed upon within 45 days from the date the county board of elections received a response to the request, the matter shall be resolved by the State Board.
(c)	For all sites approved for one‑stop voting under this section, a county board of elections shall provide the following:
(1)	Each one‑stop site across the county shall be open at that same location during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b).
(2)	If any one‑stop site across the county is opened on any day during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), all one‑stop sites shall be open on that day.
(3)	On each weekday during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), all one‑stop sites shall be open from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.
(4)	If the county board of elections opens one‑stop sites on Saturdays other than the last Saturday before the election during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), then all one‑stop sites shall be open for the same number of hours uniformly throughout the county on those Saturdays.
(5)	If the county board of elections opens one‑stop sites on Sundays during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), then all one‑stop sites shall be open for the same number of hours uniformly throughout the county on those Sundays.
(6)	If the county board of elections opens one‑stop sites on Saturdays, all one‑stop sites shall be open on the last Saturday before the election, for the hours required under G.S. 163A‑1300(b) for that last Saturday.
(d)	Notwithstanding subsection (c) of this section, a county board of elections by unanimous vote of all its members may propose a Plan for Implementation providing for the number of sites set out below in that county for absentee ballots to be applied for and cast with days and hours that vary from the county board of elections, or its alternate, and other additional one‑stop sites in that county. If the county board of elections is unable to reach unanimity in favor of a Plan for Implementation, a member or members of the county board of elections may petition the State Board to adopt a plan for the county and the State Board may adopt a Plan for Implementation for that county. However, any Plan of Implementation approved under this subsection shall provide for uniform location, days, and hours for that one site throughout the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b). This subsection applies only to a county that meets any of the following:
(1)	One site in a county that includes a barrier island, which barrier island meets all of the following conditions:
a.	It has permanent inhabitation of residents residing in an unincorporated area.
b.	It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by a coastal sound.
c.	It contains either a National Wildlife Refuge or a portion of a National Seashore.
d.	It has no bridge access to the mainland of the county and is only accessible by marine vessel.
(2)	Up to two sites in a county that is bounded by the largest sound on the East Coast and the county seat is located at the intersection of two rivers, which divide the county.
(e)	Notwithstanding G.S. 163A‑1300 and subdivisions (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this section, a county board of elections by unanimous vote of all its members may propose a Plan for Implementation providing for sites in that county for absentee ballots to be applied for and cast in elections conducted in odd‑numbered years. The proposed Plan for Implementation shall specify the hours of operation for the county board of elections for an election conducted in that county for that odd‑numbered year. If the county board of elections is unable to reach unanimity in favor of a Plan for Implementation for that odd‑numbered year, a member or members of the county board of elections may petition the State Board to adopt a Plan for Implementation for the county, and the State Board may adopt a Plan for Implementation for that county. However, throughout the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), any Plan of Implementation approved under this subsection shall provide for a minimum of regular business hours consistent with daily hours presently observed by the county board of elections for the county board of elections, or its alternate, and for uniform locations, days, and hours for all other additional one‑stop sites in that county."
SECTION 6.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1303(c)(3), as amended by S.L. 2018‑144 and S.L. 2019‑22, reads as rewritten:
"(3)	On each weekday during the period required by G.S. 163A‑1300(b), all one‑stop sites shall be open from 8:30 A.M. to 6:30 P.M."
SECTION 6.(b)  This section is effective January 1, 2020, and expires August 1, 2020.
SECTION 7.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1310(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Transmitting Executed Absentee Ballots to County Board of Elections. – The sealed container‑return envelope in which executed absentee ballots have been placed shall be transmitted to the county board of elections who issued those ballots as follows:
(1)	All ballots issued under the provisions of this Part and Part 2 of Article 21 of this Chapter shall be received by the county board not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election, transmitted by one of the following methods:
a.	By mail or by commercial courier service, at the expense of the voter or the State Board.
b.	In person delivery by the voter or by the voter's near relative or legal guardian.
c.	Electronic transmission, if the ballots were issued under the provisions of Part 2 of Article 21 of this Chapter.
(2)	If ballots are received later than the hour stated in subdivision (1) of this subsection, those ballots shall not be accepted unless one of the following applies:
a.	Federal law so requires.
b.	The ballots issued under this Part are postmarked and that postmark is dated on or before the day of the statewide primary or general election or county bond election and are received by the county board of elections not later than three days after the election by 5:00 p.m.
c.	The ballots issued under Part 2 of Article 21 of this Chapter are received by the county board of elections not later than the end of business on the business day before the canvass conducted by the county board of elections held pursuant to G.S. 163A‑1172."
SECTION 7.(b)  There is appropriated from the unappropriated fund balance of the General Fund to the State Board of Elections the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the 2019‑2020 fiscal year to provide for prepaid postage for mail‑in absentee ballots.
SECTION 7.(c)  This section becomes effective January 1, 2020, and expires December 31, 2020.
SECTION 8.  Section 3.11 of S.L. 2018‑13 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 3.11.(a)  Section 30.8 of S.L. 2013‑381, as amended by Section 6(a) of S.L. 2015‑103, reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 30.8.  Any direct record electronic (DRE) voting systems currently certified by the State Board of Elections which do not use paper ballots shall be decertified and shall not be used in any election held on or after December 1, 2019. Decertification of a DRE voting system that does not use paper ballots may not be appealed to the Superior Court of Wake County pursuant to G.S. 163A‑1115(d)."
"SECTION 3.11.(b)  Section 30.9 of S.L. 2013‑381, as amended by Section 6(b) of S.L. 2015‑103, reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 30.9.  This Part becomes effective December 1, 2019, for counties that use direct record electronic voting machines.""
SECTION 9.(a)  Notwithstanding Section 3.11 of S.L. 2018‑13, as amended by this act, the State Board of Elections (State Board) may authorize, upon such terms and conditions as the State Board deems appropriate, a county board of elections to use a direct record electronic (DRE) voting system in any election prior to December 1, 2020, provided the State Board determines the following conditions are satisfied:
(1)	The county board of elections submits a request to the State Board to use a DRE voting system in an election or elections prior to December 1, 2020, as specified in the request.
(2)	The county board of elections provides sufficient information for the State Board to conclude that the use of the DRE voting system will not jeopardize the security of the election or elections.
(3)	The county board of elections has begun the process and time line for replacing the DRE voting system and provides documentation to the State Board regarding the time line for that process and specifically the time of testing as required by G.S. 163A‑1117. The State Board may grant an exception to any requirement of G.S. 163A‑1117(a) that the State Board deems appropriate for that county.
SECTION 9.(b)  This section is effective when it becomes law and expires January 1, 2021.
SECTION 9.5.(a)  G.S. 163A‑1117(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Before approving the adoption and acquisition of any voting system by the board of county commissioners, the county board of elections shall do all of the following:
(1)	Recommend to the board of county commissioners which type of voting system should be acquired by the county.
(2)	Witness a demonstration, in that county or at a site designated by the State Board, of the type of voting system to be recommended and also witness a demonstration of at least one other type of voting system certified by the State Board.
(3)	Test the voting system in at least one of the following ways:
a.	During an election, in at least one precinct in the county where the voting system would be used if adopted.
b.	During a simulated election, in accordance with standards established by the State Board."
SECTION 9.5.(b)  This section is effective when it becomes law and applies to the purchase of any voting system tested prior to December 31, 2020.
SECTION 10.  Except as otherwise provided, this act becomes effective January 1, 2020, and applies to elections conducted on or after that date.