North Carolina § 120-10 - 3. Initiating a contest.

§ 120-10. 3. Initiating a contest.

Who May Initiate. - A contest may be initiated only by a contestant by the filing of a written notice of the intent to petition for a contest in accordance with this section. When May Initiate. - The notice of intent may be filed no earlier than the date provided in G.S. 163-182.5 for the canvass by the board of elections with jurisdiction for the office under G.S. 163-182.4. The notice of intent must be filed no later than the latter of: (i) 10 days after a certificate of election has been issued, or (ii) 10 days after the conclusion of the election protest procedure under Article 15A of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, but in no event may a contestant initiate a contest later than 30 days after the convening of a regular or special session of the General Assembly next after the election. Content of Notice. - A notice of intent shall state the grounds for the contest. The grounds shall be either or both of the following: Objections to the eligibility or qualifications of the contestee as a candidate in the election based on specific allegations. Objections to the conduct or results of the election accompanied by specific allegations that if proven true would have a probable impact on the outcome of the election. The notice of intent shall also state that a contestee shall file an answer to the notice of intent in accordance with G.S. 120-10.4. The notice of intent shall be signed by the contestant and shall be verified in accordance with Rule 11(b) of the Rules of Civil Procedure. History (2005-3, s. 2; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.) Re-recodification; Technical and Conforming Changes. - Session Laws 2017-6, s. 3, provides, in part: "The Revisor of Statutes shall recodify Chapter 138A of the General Statutes, Chapter 120C of the General Statutes, as well as Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, as amended by this act, into a new Chapter 163A of the General Statutes to be entitled 'Elections and Ethics Enforcement Act,' as enacted by Section 4 of this act. The Revisor may also recodify into the new Chapter 163A of the General Statutes other existing statutory laws relating to elections and ethics enforcement that are located elsewhere in the General Statutes as the Revisor deems appropriate." The Revisor was further authorized to make technical and conforming changes to catchlines, internal citations, and other references throughout the General Statutes to effectuate this recodification. Pursuant to this authority, the Revisor updated the statute references in subsection (b). Session Laws 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b) and 6.1, repealed Session Laws 2017-6, s. 3, and authorized the Revisor of Statutes to re-recodify Chapter 163A into Chapters 163, 138A, and 120C and to revert the changes made by the Revisor pursuant to Session Laws 2017-6, s. 3. Pursuant to this authority, the Revisor of Statutes reverted the changes to the references in subsection (b).