§ 163-249. Consideration and approval of applications and issuance of absentee ballots.
§ 163‑249. Consideration and approval of applications and issuance of absentee ballots.
The procedure to be followed in receiving applications for absenteeballots under this Article, passing upon their validity, and issuing absenteeballots shall be governed by the provisions of this section.
(1) Record of Applications Received and Ballots Issued. Uponreceipt of a voter's written application for absentee ballots in either of theforms permitted by G.S. 163‑247, the chairman of the county board ofelections shall promptly enter in the register of military absentee ballotapplications and ballots issued:
a. Name of voter applying for absentee ballots.
b. Applicant's political party affiliation as stated in anapplication for ballots in a primary.
c. Number assigned voter's application. (Numbers assignedapplications received under the provisions of this Article shall be chosen soas not to be identical with numbers assigned applications received under theprovisions of Article 20.)
d. Precinct in which applicant is registered if he is alreadyregistered, or precinct in which applicant is registered by the chairman of thecounty board of elections under the provisions of subdivisions (2) and (3) ofthis section.
e. Address to which ballots are to be mailed.
f. Statement of basis on which applicant asserts hisqualifications for obtaining absentee ballots under the provisions of thisArticle.
g. Date application for ballots is received by chairman.
(2) Determination of Validity of Applications for Absentee Ballots;Handling Applications for Persons Not Registered. The chairman of the countyboard of elections shall pass upon the validity of all applications forabsentee ballots received under the provisions of this Article, and he shallnot delegate this responsibility.
If the chairman finds that the applicant is aqualified voter of the county, that he is registered in the precinct stated inhis application, that the assertions in his application are true, that theydemonstrate that he is entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the terms ofthis Article, and that his application is in proper form, the chairman shallapprove the application for absentee ballots.
If the chairman finds that the applicant is notregistered to vote in the precinct in which he declares he is a resident, thechairman shall make a reasonable investigation as to the applicant's residence.If the chairman determines that the applicant is a resident of the precinctasserted, that he is eligible to register and vote under the Constitution andstatutes of this State, and that his application is otherwise in order, thechairman shall register him according to the procedure specified in subdivision(3) of this section and approve his application for absentee ballots.
(3) Record of Chairman's Decisions; Registration by Chairman. At the time the chairman of the county board of elections makes his decision onan application for absentee ballots, he shall enter in the appropriate columnin the register of military absentee ballot applications and ballots issuedopposite the name of the applicant a notation of whether his application was"Approved" or "Disapproved." In cases in which the chairmandetermines that an unregistered applicant is entitled to register, he shallalso note in the appropriate column of the register the designation of theprecinct in which the applicant is entitled to vote. This entry shallconstitute registration and shall entitle an otherwise qualified applicant toreceive absentee ballots.
(4) Delivery of Absentee Ballots and Container‑ReturnEnvelope to Applicant. When the chairman of the county board of electionsapproves an application for military absentee ballots he shall promptly issueand transmit them in accordance with the following instructions:
a. On the top margin of each ballot the applicant is entitledto vote, the chairman shall write or type the words "Absentee Ballot No____" and insert in the blank space the number assigned the applicant'sapplication in the register of military absentee ballot applications andballots issued. He shall not write, type, or print any other matter upon theballots transmitted to the absentee voter.
b. The chairman shall fold and place the ballots (identified inaccordance with the preceding instruction) in a container‑return envelopeand write or type in the appropriate blanks thereon, the absentee voter's name,his application number, and the designation of the precinct in which hisballots are to be voted. The chairman shall leave the container‑returnenvelope holding the ballots unsealed.
c. The chairman shall then place the unsealed container‑returnenvelope holding the ballots, together with printed instructions for voting andreturning the ballots, in an envelope addressed to the applicant at the addressstated in his application, seal the envelope, and mail it at the expense of thecounty board of elections. (1941, c. 346, ss. 2, 3, 4, 5; 1943, c. 503, s. 3; 1963, c. 457, ss.12, 13; 1967, c. 775, s. 1.)