North Carolina § 163-165 - 1. Scope and general rules.

§ 163-165. 1. Scope and general rules.

Scope. - This Article shall apply to all elections in this State. Requirements of Official Ballots in Voting. - In any election conducted under this Article: All voting shall be by official ballot. Only votes cast on an official ballot shall be counted. Compliance With This Article. - All ballots shall comply with the provisions of this Article. Other Uses Prohibited. - An official ballot shall not be used for any purpose not authorized by this Article. Voted ballots and paper and electronic records of individual voted ballots shall be treated as confidential, and no person other than elections officials performing their duties may have access to voted ballots or paper or electronic records of individual voted ballots except by court order or order of the appropriate board of elections as part of the resolution of an election protest or investigation of an alleged election irregularity or violation. Voted ballots and paper and electronic records of individual voted ballots shall not be disclosed to members of the public in such a way as to disclose how a particular voter voted, unless a court orders otherwise. Any person who has access to an official voted ballot or record and knowingly discloses in violation of this section how an individual has voted that ballot is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. History (2001-460, s. 3; 2002-159, s. 55(o); 2005-323, s. 1(f); 2007-391, s. 9(a); 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).) Editor's Note. - This section was recodified as now former G.S. 163A-1105 by Session Laws 2017-6, s. 3. Former G.S. 163A-1105 was then re-recodified as this section by Session Laws 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), effective January 31, 2019. The historical citation from the former section has been added to this section as re-recodified. Session Laws 2018-146, s. 3.1(b), effective January 31, 2019, repealed Session Laws 2017-6, s. 3, which had recodified this section. Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2005-323, s. 1(f), effective August 26, 2005, in subsection (e), inserted "and paper records of individual voted ballots" in the first and second sentences and "or paper records of individual voted ballots" in the first sentence. Session Laws 2007-391, s. 9(a), effective December 1, 2007, and applicable to any offense occurring on or after that date, in subsection (e), inserted the references to "electronic" in the first two sentences, and added the last sentence.