Signed by Governor Roy Cooper III

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes that voters may now request an absentee ballot by email or fax for the 2020 general election in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Board of Elections to develop guidance to safely allow poll workers to assist voters in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living, or other congregate living situations in the 2020 elections during the COVID-19 pandemic (Sec. 2).

• Requires the creation of a “multipartisan team” in each county to ensure a smooth process at the polls, consisting of at least two members from the 2 major political parties (Sec. 2).

• Requires absentee ballots to have a barcode or other unique identifier to allow both the county board of elections and the voter to track the ballot following the mailing of the ballot (Sec. 3).

• Requires the county board of elections to publish the number of provisional ballots cast on Election Day, by one-stop absentee voting, mail-in absentee ballots received as of Election Day, and by military & overseas ballots by 12 p.m. 2 days after Election Day (Sec. 4). 

• Authorizes voters to request an absentee ballot by mail, email, fax, or the State Board of Elections’ website (Sec. 5). 

• Establishes that any member or employee of the State Board or county board of elections that knowingly sends or delivers an absentee ballot to anyone who has not requested such a thing shall be found guilty of a Class I felony (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text