Amends GS 163-22 adding new subsection (u) prohibiting the State Board, in educating voters, from using its role to recruit or encourage voters to associate with any political party over another or to influence voter turnout for a particular political party.

Amends GS 163-90.2(a) clarifying that the county board (was, board) must maintain a record of any cancellation or correction to voter registration of a voter following a sustained challenge for any cause under GS 163-85(c) for at least six months and during pendency of appeal. Adds exception to the general rule that a challenged ballot is to be treated as a provisional official that will still be counted for any ballot items the challenged voter is eligible to vote for a sustained challenge under GS 163-85(c)(6) that a person is dead. Declares that for challenges sustained under GS 163-85(c)(6) the ballot will not be counted if the voter died between the time the ballot was cast and 6:30 am on election day.

Amends GS 163-165.5(a)(4) adding that party designations must be printed in the same font type and size as the name of the candidate. Effective January 1, 2026, and applies to elections held on or after that date.

Amends GS 163-166.35(a) making technical changes by removing “of elections” following “county board” throughout. Adds requirement that each county board open at least one early voting site for every 30,000 registered voters, or any portion thereof, registered as of July 1st of the previous calendar year. Mandates the county board seek to provide geographic diversity when selecting site locations.

Amends GS 163-182.1(b)(1) making it the State Auditor’s responsibility to provide a process for selecting district or local ballot items to adequately sample the electorate when there is no statewide ballot item (was, the State Board). Removes the requirement that the State Board approve the procedure for randomly selecting the sample precincts for each election. Makes conforming changes.

Amends GS 163-182.2(a), as amended by Section 3A.4(e) of SL 2024-57, subdivision (4) adding a provision that counties with over 250,000 registered voters in an election have until no later than 5:00 pm on the fifth business day after the election to count provisional official ballots (was, the third business day as required for all other counties). Makes the technical changes to subdivision (5) including removing “of elections” following “county board” and formatting changes.

Amends GS 163-234, as amended by Section 3A.4(g) of SL 2024-57, subdivision (2) adding a reference to new subdivision (13). Adds those absentee ballots subject to new subdivision (13) to ballots exempted from the requirement that the tally of all absentee ballots be announced no later than 5:00 pm on the third business day after the election. Adds subdivision (13), which sets out the timeline for counting absentee ballots for counties with over 250,000 registered voters in an election as follows: (1) all absentee ballots received by the county board on the Monday before election day must be processed by 7:30 pm the day before election day; (2) the county board must count and report the results of all absentee ballots received before election day by 7:30 pm on election day; (3) the county board must report the number of absentee ballots received on election day by 7:30 pm on election day; and (4) for absentee ballots received on election day, the county board must count and report the results of those ballots no later than 5:00 pm on the fifth business day after the election.

Amends GS 163-230.1(e1), as amended by Section 3A.4(f) of SL 2024-57, requiring any container-return envelope with a curable deficiency transmitted to the county board to be considered timely if the cure documentation is received no later than 5:00 pm (was, 12:00 pm) on the fifth (was, third) business day after the election.

Amends GS 163-278.9 changing the title to include “State” so that it reads “Statements filed with State Board.” Requires a political committee, political party or affiliated party committee that receives a contribution or transfer of funds of $2,000 (was, $1,000) or more before an election but after the period covered by the last report due before that election to disclose within 48 hours. Adds a requirement that the State Board increase the dollar amount of the reporting threshold effective each election cycle beginning the period from January 1st of an odd-numbered year through December 31st of the next even-numbered year based on the Consumer Price Index in GS 163-278.13(b) and set the revised threshold in October of that even-numbered year. Sets additional publication and notice requirement of the revisions. Adds subsection (a1) prohibiting subdivision (a)(2), requiring the 48-hour report, from applying to any candidate campaign committee in a primary election in which the candidate is unopposed on the ballot.

Amends GS 163-278.9A concerning the 48-hour report requirement for treasurers of referendum committees by raising the contribution or transfer amount that must be reported within 48 hours of receipt from $1,000 or more to $2,000 or more when received during the period before a referendum but after the period covered by the last report due before that referendum. Adds the same requirement that State Board increase the dollar amount of the reporting amount as detailed above for the change in GS 163-278.9. Adds subsection (a1) prohibiting subdivision (a)(3), requiring the 48-hour report, from applying to any candidate campaign committee in a primary election in which the candidate is unopposed on the ballot.

Requires the State Board of Elections to adjust the thresholds imposed by GS 163-278.9(a)(2) and GS 163-278.9A(a)(3), as enacted, no earlier than October 1, 2025, effective for the election cycle beginning January 1, 2027.

Except as otherwise provided, act effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held on or after that date.