SB 306 — Fix Our Democracy.

"(a) Candidates seekingseekingpartyprimarynominations partyforthefollowingoffices primarynominations forthefollowing offices shall filetheir notice of candidacy with the State Board no earlier than 12:00 noon on the first Monday in December and no later than 12:00 noon on the third Friday in December preceding the primary:

During the period commencing 36 hours immediately preceding the filing deadline the State Board of Elections shall accept, on a conditional basis, the notice of candidacy of a Page 10 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 candidatewhohas failed to securetheverificationorderedhereinsecuretheverificationordered herein subject to receipt ofverification no laterthan threedays followingfollowingthe thefilingfilingdeadline.The deadline.TheState StateBoardBoard ofElections shall prescribe the form for such certificate, and distribute it to each county board of elections no later than the last Monday in December of each odd-numbered year.

If the candidate requests a hearing, the hearinghearingshall shall be conducted in accordance with Article 11B ofthisof this Chapter.

163-106, 163-106.1, 163-106.2, 163-106.3, 163-106.4,163-106.5,163-106.4,163-106.5,and163-106.6,a andfilingfeefortheoffice 163-106.6,a filing feefortheoffice sought in the amount specified in the following tabulation:

Office Sought Amount of Filing Fee Governor One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the office sought Lieutenant Governor One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the office sought All State executive offices One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the office sought All Justices, Judges, and District At- One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the torneys of the General Court of office sought Justice United States Senator One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the office sought Members of the United States House One percent (1%) of the annual salary of of Representatives the office sought State Senator One percent (1%) of the annual salary of the office sought Member of the State House One percent (1%) of the annual salary of of Representatives the office sought All county offices not compensated by One percent (1%) of the annual salary of fees office sought All county offices compensated partly One percent (1%) of the first annual by salary and partly by fees salary to be received (exclusive of fees) DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 11 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 The salary of any office that is the basis for calculating the filing fee is the starting salary for the office, rather than the salary received by the incumbent, if different.

163-106.2 but which is not listed in subsection (b) of this section, or a municipal oranyoranyotherofficerequiringapartisanprimarywhich otherofficerequiring apartisanprimarywhich is not set forth in G.S.

House of Representatives, District Attorney, judge of the superior court, judge of the district court, and members of the State House of Representatives from multi-countymulti-countydistricts districts or members of the State Senate from multi-county districts must be presented to the countycountyboard board of elections for verification at least 15 days before the petition is due to be filed with the State Board of Elections, and such petition must be filed with the State Board no later than 12:00 noon on MondayMondaypreceding preceding the filing deadline.

163-106.2 has expired, the chairman of the State Board of Elections shall certify to the chairman of the county board of elections in each county in the appropriate district the names of candidates for nomination to the following offices office of district attorney who have filed the required notice and pledge and paid the required filing fee to the State Board of Page 12 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 Elections, so that their names may be printed on the official county ballots:

"(1) Acandidatewhois apparentlyentitledto demanda second primary,accordingprimary, according to the unofficial results, for one of the offices listed below, and desiring to do so, shall file a request for a second primary in writing with the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections no later than 12:00 noon on the ninth day (including Saturdays and Sundays) following the date on which the primary was conducted, and such request shall be subject to the certification of the official results by the State Board of Elections.

Filling vacanciesamongpartynominees occurringoccurringafternomination afterand nominationbefore andbefore election.

(a) If anyanyperson person nominated as a candidate of a political party for one of the offices listed below (either in a primary or convention or by virtue of having no opposition in a primary) dies, resigns,orforanyreasonresigns, orforanyreason becomesineligibleordisqualifiedbeforethedate oftheensuinggeneralof theensuinggeneral election, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment according to the following instructions:

Appropriate district executive Member of the United committee of political States House of Repre- party in which vacancy occurs sentatives Judge of district court District Attorney State Senator in a multi- DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 13 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 county senatorial district Member of State House of Representatives in a multi-county representative district 6 State Senator in a single- County executive committee county senatorial district of political party in which Member of State House of vacancy occurs, provided, in Representatives in a the case of the State Senator single-county represen- or State Representative in a tative district single-county district where Any elective county office not all the county is located in that district, then in voting, only those members of the county executive committee who reside within the district shall votevote.

If a vacancy occurs in a nomination of a political party and that vacancy arises from a cause other than death and the vacancy in nomination occurs more than 120 days before the general election, the vacancy in nomination may be filled under this section onlyonlyif if the appropriate executive committee certifies the name of the nominee in accordance with this paragraph at least 75 days before the general election.

(b) In a county which is partly in a multicounty judicial district, in choosing that county's member or members of the judicial district executive committee for the multicountymulticountydistrict, district, only the county convention delegates or county executive committee members who reside within the area of the county which is within that multicounty district may vote.

Page 14 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 "(h) Municipal and Nonpartisan Elections Excluded.

The State Board of Elections shall establish a review procedure that local boards ofelections shall followto ensurethatcandidates'ensurethatcandidates'namesappearon namesappearonthetheofficial official ballot in accordance with this subdivision." SECTION 2.17.

– The form shall be valid onlyonlyif if signed by the applicant.

Notwithstandingtheprovisions ofthissubsection, an electronicallyelectronicallycaptured capturedSenate DRS55030-LUxfay-42FBill 306-First Edition Page 15 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 imageofthesignatureof avoteron anelectronicvoterregistrationform offeredbyaStateagency shall be considered a valid signature for all purposes for which a signature on a paper voter registration form is used." 5 PART IV.

registration that maymaybe be (i) printed out in blank form or (ii) filled in online as set forth in G.S.

The countycountyboard board of elections for the countycountywhere where the applicant resides shall accept the form as application for any of those purposes if the form is submitted as set out in G.S.

(a) This section may be cited as the "Online Voter Registration Act." (b) RequireAvailabilityRequireAvailabilityof ofInternetInternet forVoterRegistration.

– TheStateBoardTheStateBoardof ofElectionsElections shall ensure that the followingfollowingservices services are availableto the publicat anytime on its official public website:

(2) Submitting with the application an electronic copy of the applicant's handwritten signature through electronic means in a manner prescribed bybythe the State Board of Elections.

Page 16 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (1) The individual meets the same voter registration eligibility requirements applicable to individuals who register to vote by mail.

(1) If submitted by mail, must be postmarked at least 25 days before the primary or election, except that any mailed application on which the postmark is missing or unclear is validlyvalidlysubmitted submitted if received in the mail not later than 20 days before the primary or election,election.

(2) If submitted in person, by facsimile transmission, or by transmission of a scanneddocument,orbyscanneddocument,orbyonlinevoterregistrationpursuanttoG.S. onlinevoterregistrationpursuanttoG.S.

163-82.5A, are confidential and shall not be considered public records and subject to disclosuretothegeneraldisclosuretothe general publicunderChapter132 oftheGeneralStatutes.Cumulativedatabased on those items of information may be publicly disclosed as long as information about any individual cannot be discerned from the disclosed data.

The State Board of Elections shall ensure that online DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 17 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 voter registration under this Part is provided in a manner that is accessible to persons with disabilities so as to provide the same opportunity for access and participation as for other voters.

(1) If submitted by mail, must be postmarked at least 25 days before the primary or election, except that any mailed application on which the postmark is missing or unclear is validlyvalidlysubmitted submitted if received in the mail not later than 20 days before the primary or election,election.

(2) If submitted in person, by facsimile transmission, or by transmission of a scanned document, or bybyautomatic automatic voter registration, must be received bybythe the county board of elections by a time established by that board, but no earlier than5:00 P.M.,onthetwenty-fifth daybeforetheprimaryor election,election.

Page 18 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (3) If submitted through a delegatee who violates the duty set forth in subsection (a) of this section, must be signed by the applicant and given to the delegatee not later than 25 days before the primary or election, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section.

– The Beginning JanuaryJanuary1, 1, 2024, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall, pursuant to the rules adopted by in consultation with the State Board of Elections, modify its forms so that implement a method by which any eligible person who applies for original issuance, renewal or correction of a drivers license, or special identification card issued under G.S.

If the applicant states that the applicant is not a citizen of the United States, or declines to answer the question, the person taking the application shall inform the applicant that it is a felonyfelonyfor for a person who is not a citizen of the United States to apply to register to vote.

(4) That anyanyperson person who willfullywillfullyand andknowinglyand knowingly and with fraudulent intent gives false information on the application is guilty of a Class I felony.

163-82.6(d)(2) shall be treated as timely made for DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 19 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 an election, and no person who completes an application at that drivers license office shall be denied the vote in that election for failure to apply earlier than that deadline.

– The Department of Transportation shall electronically transmit the applications of applicants who have not declined voter registration to the appropriate board of elections not later than five business days after the date of acceptance, accordingaccordingto to rules which shall be promulgated by the State Board of Elections.

– Beginning January 1, 2025, a voter registration agency described in subsection (a)ofthis section shall, unless theapplicant declines, in writing,writing,to toregistertovote:in registerto vote:in consultation with the State Board, provide, with each application for service or assistance, and with each recertification, renewal, or change of address relatingrelatingto to such service or assistance, an application process for automatic voter registration.

Page 20 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (2) Provide a form that contains the elements required by section 7(a)(6)(B) of the National Voter Registration Act;

(3) Provide to each applicant who does not decline to register to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the completion of the registration application as is provided by the office with regard to the completion of its ownforms.That theapplicant shouldnot registeriftheapplicantregisterif theapplicant does not meet the qualifications described under subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(4) That anyanyperson person who willfullywillfullyand andknowinglyand knowingly and with fraudulent intent gives false information on the application is guilty of a Class I felony.

– Any voter registration application completed at a voter registration agencyagencyshall shall be accepted bybythat thatagencyin agency in lieu of the applicant's mailing the application.

– Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring agencies to determine eligibility for voter registration and voting." DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 21 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 SECTION 5.5.

The State Board of Elections, the Division of Prisons of the Department of Adult Correction, and the Administrative Office of the Courts shall jointly develop and implement educational programs and procedures for persons to apply to register to vote at the time they are restored to citizenshipandcitizenshipandallfilings allfilingsrequiredhavebeencompletedunderChapter13ofthe requiredhavebeencompletedunderChapter13oftheGeneralStatutes.GeneralStatutes.

Page 22 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (b3) G.S.

… (5) Require those two persons the person in whose presence the voter marked that voter's ballots to sign theapplicationthe application and certificate as witnesses a witness and to indicate those persons' addresses.

The persons person in whose presence the ballot is marked shall at all times respect the secrecy of the ballot and the privacy of the absentee voter, unless the voter requests assistance and that person is otherwise authorized bybylaw law to give assistance.

163-226.3." DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 23 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 SECTION 7.3.

– A countycountyboard board of elections shall conduct a systematic program to remove from its list of registered voters those whohavemovedout of the county, andto update the registration records of persons who have moved within the county.

163-82.20 that the Page 24 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 voter has reported a change of address for voting purposes outside the county;county.

If a voter has provided the county board of elections with an email address, is an email that (i) provides the confirmation mailingmailinghas has been sent, (ii) contains information on how the registrant may confirm the registrant's current address online, and (iii) contains information on how the voter may continue to be eligible to vote if the registrant has moved outside the county.

163-278.13, from any one person in an election, a filer, when reporting donations of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in the aggregate under this subsection, shall disclose the identityidentityof of the original source of the funds, the DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 25 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 amounts of those donations, and any intermediaries who transferred the funds before they were contributed to the filer.

Any person or entity making a donation of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, in the aggregate, in an election to a person or entity required to reportdonations under this subsection shall inform that person or entityentityof of theidentity oftheoriginalsourcesoffundsbeingtransferred,theamountsofthepersons'originalfundsbeing transferred, and the identity of any persons who previously transferred the original funds." SECTION 10.2.

163-287.13, from any one person in an election, a filer, when reporting donations of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in the aggregate under this subsection, shall disclose the identityidentityof of the original source of the funds, the amounts of those donations, and any intermediaries who transferred the funds before they were contributed to the filer.

Any person or entity making a donation of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more, in the aggregate, in an election to a person or entity required to report donations under this subsection shall inform that person or entityentityof of the identityidentityof of the original sources of funds being transferred, the amounts of the persons' original funds being transferred, and the identity of any persons who previously transferred the original funds." SECTION 10.3.

Page 26 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 1.

(b) SizeRequirements.–SizeRequirements.–Thefollowingshallapplyto Thefollowingshallapplyto thevariousformsofadvertisement:

(4) In a digital communication advertisement covered by subsection (a) of this section, the disclosure statement shall appear (i) in letters at least as large as the smallest text in the digital communication or (ii) in a heading or similar DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 27 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 section of text displayed above or within the digital communication that is visually distinct from the text of the digital communication and shall have a reasonabledegreeofcolorcontrastbetweenthebackgroundandthe disclosure statement.

The disclosure requirements of this Part applyapplyto toanysponsor any sponsor of an advertisement in the print media or media, on radio or television television, or through digital communication the cost or value of which constitutes an expenditure or contribution required to be disclosed under this Article, except that the disclosure requirements of this Part:

163-278.39.TheStateBoard163-278.39.TheState Board of Elections shall maintain the information submitted pursuant to this section on the State Board of Elections website and the information shall be deemed public records and available for inspection on the website.

PROTECTION AGAINST FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Page 28 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 SECTION 12.1.

"(a1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary and in accordance with any federal law, a foreign national expending funds for political advertising that addresses a specific issue to influence State or local government policy, a State or local government officer, or an election shall include a statement in the advertisement that identifies the foreign national and a statement disclosingdisclosingthat thattheadvertisingistheadvertisingis sponsoredbysponsoredbythe theforeignforeign national.

Thephrase"foreignThephrase "foreign national" shall have the same meaning as defined in 52 U.S.C.

(2) AnyAnycontribution contribution or donation in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) made by the committee before an election but after the period covered by the last reportdue beforethat election.This notificationshall bemadewithin48hours after the contribution or donation is made and shall include the name of the committee and the recipient and the date and amount of the contribution or donation.

Accordingly, this Article establishes the North Carolina Public Campaign Fund as an alternative source of DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 29 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 campaign financing for candidates who demonstrate public support and voluntarily accept strict fundraising and spending limits.

MadebyMadebyanindividualwhois anindividualwhois a registered voter in this Stateat thetime of the submittal of the report specified in G.S.

Page 30 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (18) Referendum committee.

(c) DeterminationofFund Amount.–ByOctober1,2024,andeverytwoyearsthereafter,Amount.–ByOctober1,2024,andeverytwo yearsthereafter, the State Board shall prepare and provide to the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee a report documenting, evaluating, and making recommendations relating to the administration, implementation, and enforcement of this Article.

In the declaration, the candidate shall swear or affirm that only one political committee, identified with its treasurer, shall handle all contributions, expenditures, and obligations for the participating candidate and that the candidate will complycomplywith with the contribution and expenditure limits set forth in subsection (d) of this section and all other requirements set forth in this Article or adopted by the Board.

DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 31 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 (c) Certification of Candidates.

In addition to these contributions, the candidate may only expend during this period the remaining moneymoneyraised raised pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

(4) During the qualifyingqualifyingperiod, period, the candidate maymaycontribute contribute up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) of that candidate's own money to the campaign and may accept in contributions one thousand dollars ($1,000) from each member of that candidate's family consisting of spouse, parent, child, brother, and sister.

In establishing those guidelines, the Board shall differentiate expenditures that reasonablyreasonablyfurther further a candidate's campaign from expenditures for personal use that would be incurred in the absence of Page 32 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 the candidacy.

(6) Any contribution received by a participating or certified candidate that falls outside that permitted bybythis this subsection shall be returned to the donor as soon as practicable.

163-278.153 as modified bybythis this section.

To receive certification, a participating candidate shall raise at least 225 qualifyingqualifyingcontributions, contributions, totaling at least 20 times the amount of the filing fee for the office, for a four-week qualifying period.

– Certified candidates shall receive one percent (1%) of the funding to which theywould beeligibleunderbe eligibleunder G.S.

– ByByAugust August 1, 2024, and no less frequently than every two years thereafter, the Board shall determine the amount of funds, rounded to the nearest one hundred dollars ($100.00), to be distributed to certified candidates as follows:

– Funds shall be distributed to a certified candidate for a position on the Court of Appeals in an amount equal to 225 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 33 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 times the candidate's filing fee as set forth in G.S.

In addition to any other penalties that maymaybe be applicable, any individual, political committee, or other entity that violates any provision of this Article is subject to a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation or three times the amount of any financial transactions involved in the violation, whichever is greater.

Every active member of the North Carolina State Bar shall, prior to the first day of July of each year, pay to the secretary-treasurer an annual membership fee in an amount determined by the Council but not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300.00), and everyeveryplus plus a surcharge of sixty dollars ($60.00) for the implementation of Article 22I of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

A member shall be provided the option to designate that the surcharge required by this section be Page 34 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 used in its entirety for the Judicial Voter Guide described in G.S.

The fees shall bedisbursed bybythe the secretary-treasureronthe orderoftheCouncil.

The sixtysixtydollar dollar($60.00)($60.00) surcharge shall be sent on a monthly schedule to the State Board of Elections.

The secretary-treasurer shall annually, at a time and in a law magazine or daily newspaper to be prescribed by the Council, publish an account of the financial transactions of the Council in a form to be prescribed bybyit. it.

The secretary-treasurer shall compile and keep currentlycurrentlycorrect correct from the names and mailing addresses forwarded to the secretary-treasurer and from any other available sources of information a list of members of the North Carolina State Bar and furnish to the clerk of the superior court in each county, not later than the first day of October in each year, a list showing the name and address of each attorney for that county who has not complied with the provisions of this Article.

Part2ofArticle4ofChapter105oftheGeneralStatutesisPart2ofArticle4ofChapter105oftheGeneralStatutesisamended amended by adding a new section to read:

"Three dollars ($3.00) will go to the North Carolina Public Campaign Fund to support a nonpartisan court system, if DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 35 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 you agree.

A paid preparer of taxreturnsmaytax notreturns maynot mark an agreementorobjectionforagreementor objectionfor ataxpayer without thethetaxpayer's taxpayer's consent.

Three dollars ($3.00) from the taxes you paypaywill will go to theFund ifyouif you markan agreement.

Regardless of what choiceyoumake,choice youmake, your tax will not increase, nor will any refund you are entitled to be reduced."" SECTION 14.5.

(1) The unconditional discharge of an inmate, of a probationer, or of a parolee by the agency of the State having jurisdiction of that person or of a defendant Page 36 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 under a suspended sentence by the court.release from active punishment to a period of post-release supervision or parole of a person whose sentence was not suspended by the court.

– The Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, upon receipt of a notice of conviction sent by a United States AttorneyAttorneypursuant pursuant to section 8(g) of the National Voter Registration Act, shall notify the appropriate county boards of elections of the conviction.any conviction for which citizen rights have been forfeited and not yet restored under G.S.

(3) CountyCountyBoard's Board'sDutyUpon DutyReceivingReport Upon Receiving Report of Conviction.

DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition Page 37 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2023 PART XVII.

Page 38 DRS55030-LUxfay-42FSenate Bill 306-First Edition