§ 163-82.20. Voter registration at other public agencies.
§ 163‑82.20. Voterregistration at other public agencies.
(a) Voter RegistrationAgencies. Every office in this State which accepts:
(1) Applications for aprogram of public assistance under Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the GeneralStatutes or under Article 13 of Chapter 130A of the General Statutes;
(2) Applications forState‑funded State or local government programs primarily engaged inproviding services to persons with disabilities, with such office designated bythe State Board of Elections; or
(3) Claims for benefitsunder Chapter 96 of the General Statutes, the Employment Security Law, isdesignated as a voter registration agency for purposes of this section.
(b) Duties of VoterRegistration Agencies. A voter registration agency described in subsection(a) of this section shall, unless the applicant declines, in writing, toregister or preregister to vote:
(1) Distribute with eachapplication for service or assistance, and with each recertification, renewal,or change of address relating to such service or assistance:
a. The voterregistration application form described in G.S. 163‑82.3(a) or (b); or
b. The voterregistration agency's own form, if it is substantially equivalent to the formdescribed in G.S. 163‑82.3(a) or (b) and has been approved by the StateBoard of Elections, provided that the agency's own form may be a detachablepart of the agency's paper application or may be a paperless computer process,as long as the applicant is required to sign an attestation as part of theapplication to register or preregister.
(2) Provide a form thatcontains the elements required by section 7(a)(6)(B) of the National VoterRegistration Act; and
(3) Provide to eachapplicant who does not decline to register or preregister to vote the samedegree of assistance with regard to the completion of the registrationapplication as is provided by the office with regard to the completion of itsown forms.
(c) Provided that voterregistration agencies designated under subdivision (a)(3) of this section shallonly be required to provide the services set out in this subsection toapplicants for new claims, reopened claims, and changes of address underChapter 96 of the General Statutes, the Employment Security Law.
(d) Home Registrationfor Disabled. If a voter registration agency provides services to a personwith disability at the person's home, the voter registration agency shallprovide the services described in subsection (b) of this section at theperson's home.
(e) Prohibitions. Anyperson providing any service under subsection (b) of this section shall not:
(1) Seek to influence anapplicant's political preference or party registration, except that this shallnot be construed to prevent the notice provided by G.S. 163‑82.4(c) to begiven if the applicant refuses to declare his party affiliation;
(2) Display any suchpolitical preference or party allegiance;
(3) Make any statementto an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is todiscourage the applicant from registering or preregistering to vote; or
(4) Make any statementto an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which is to leadthe applicant to believe that a decision to register or preregister or not toregister or preregister has any bearing on the availability of services orbenefits.
(f) Confidentiality ofDeclination to Register. No information relating to a declination to registeror preregister to vote in connection with an application made at a voterregistration agency may be used for any purpose other than voter registration.
(g) Transmittal FromAgency to Board of Elections. Any voter registration or preregistrationapplication completed at a voter registration agency shall be accepted by thatagency in lieu of the applicant's mailing the application. Any such applicationso received shall be transmitted to the appropriate board of elections notlater than five business days after acceptance, according to rules which shallbe promulgated by the State Board of Elections.
(h) Twenty‑Five‑DayDeadline for an Election. Applications to register accepted by a voterregistration agency shall entitle a registrant to vote in any primary, general,or special election unless the registrant shall have made application laterthan the twenty‑fifth calendar day immediately preceding such primary,general, or special election, provided that nothing shall prohibit voterregistration agencies from continuing to accept applications during thatperiod.
(i) IneligibleApplications Prohibited. No person shall make application to register orpreregister to vote under this section if that person is ineligible on accountof age, citizenship, lack of residence for the period of time provided by law,or because of conviction of a felony. (1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 762, s. 2; 1995, c. 507,s. 25.10(c); 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 608, s. 1; 2009‑541, s. 14(a).)