§ 163-166.4. Limitation on activity in the voting place and in a buffer zone around it.
§ 163‑166.4. Limitationon activity in the voting place and in a buffer zone around it.
(a) Buffer Zone. Noperson or group of persons shall hinder access, harass others, distributecampaign literature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwiseengage in election‑related activity in the voting place or in a bufferzone which shall be prescribed by the county board of elections around thevoting place. In determining the dimensions of that buffer zone for each votingplace, the county board of elections shall, where practical, set the limit at50 feet from the door of entrance to the voting place, measured when that dooris closed, but in no event shall it set the limit at more than 50 feet or atless than 25 feet.
(a1) Area for Election‑RelatedActivity. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the countyboard of elections shall also provide an area adjacent to the buffer zone foreach voting place in which persons or groups of persons may distribute campaignliterature, place political advertising, solicit votes, or otherwise engage inelection‑related activity.
(b) Special AgreementsAbout Election‑Related Activity. The Executive Director of the StateBoard of Elections may grant special permission for a county board of electionsto enter into an agreement with the owners or managers of a nonpublic buildingto use the building as a voting place on the condition that election‑relatedactivity as described in subsection (a1) of this section not be permitted ontheir property adjacent to the buffer zone, if the Executive Director finds allof the following:
(1) That no othersuitable voting place can be secured for the precinct.
(2) That the countyboard will require the chief judge of the precinct to monitor the groundsaround the voting place to ensure that the restriction on election‑relatedactivity shall apply to all candidates and parties equally.
(3) That the pattern ofvoting places subject to agreements under this subsection does notdisproportionately favor any party, racial or ethnic group, or candidate.
An agreement under thissubsection shall be valid for as long as the nonpublic building is used as avoting place.
(c) Notice About BufferZone and Area for Election‑Related Activity. No later than 30 daysbefore each election, the county board of elections shall make available to thepublic the following information concerning each voting place:
(1) The door from whichthe buffer zone is measured.
(2) The distance thebuffer zone extends from that door.
(3) Any availableinformation concerning where political activity, including sign placement, ispermitted beyond the buffer zone.
(d) Buffer Zone andArea for Election‑Related Activity at One‑Stop Sites. Except asmodified in this subsection, the provisions of this section shall apply to one‑stopvoting sites in G.S. 163‑227.2.
(1) Subsection (b) ofthis section shall not apply.
(2) The notice insubsection (c) of this section shall be provided no later than 10 days beforethe opening of one‑stop voting at the site. (2001‑460, s. 3; 2003‑365,s. 1; 2007‑391, s. 13; 2008‑187, s. 33(a); 2009‑541, s.22(a).)