08 NCAC 16 .0104             VISITS BY MULTIPARTISAN ASSISTANCE TEAMS

(a)  The State Board shall provide annual notice regarding availability of Teams in each county. The notice shall provide information for covered facilities, or patients or residents of the facilities, to contact the county board of elections to arrange a Team visit.

(b)  If a facility, or a patient or resident of a facility, requests a visit by the Team, the county board of elections shall notify the Team and schedule the visit(s) within seven calendar days if it is able to do so. If the county board of elections is unable to schedule the visit within seven calendar days, the voter may obtain such assistance from any person other than:

(1)           an owner, manager, director, employee of the hospital, clinic, nursing home, or rest home in which the voter is a patient or resident;

(2)           an individual who holds any elective office under the United States, this State, or any political subdivision of this State;

(3)           an individual who is a candidate for nomination or election to such office; or

(4)           an individual who holds any office in a State, congressional district, county, or precinct political party or organization, or who is a campaign manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party; provided that a delegate to a convention shall not be considered a party office.

None of the persons listed in Subparagraphs (1) through (4) of this Paragraph may sign the application or certificate as a witness for the patient.

(c)  On a facility visit, the composition of the visiting Team members shall comply with the requirements of Rule .0102(a)(1) or (a)(2) of this Section.

(d)  All Team members shall remain within the presence of each other while visiting or assisting patients or residents.

(e)  At each facility visit, the Team shall provide the following assistance to patients or residents who request it:

(1)           Assistance in requesting a mail-in absentee ballot: The Team shall collect any request forms submitted by voters and deliver those request forms to the county board of elections office upon leaving the facility. Upon the voter's request, the Team may also:

(A)          Assist the voter in completing the request form, provided that the voter signs or, if unable to sign, makes his or her mark or directs that his or her mark to be placed on the form; and

(B)          Coordinate a return visit to assist the voter in completing the absentee ballot.

(2)           Assistance in casting a mail-in absentee ballot: Before providing assistance in voting by mail-in absentee ballot, a Team member shall be in the presence of another Team member whose registration is not affiliated with the same political party. Team members shall sign the return envelope as witnesses to the marking of the mail-in absentee ballot. If the Team members provide assistance in marking the mail-in absentee ballot, the Team members shall also sign the voter's return envelope to indicate that they provided assistance in marking the ballot.

(f)  The Team shall make and keep a record containing the names of all voters who received assistance or cast an absentee ballot during a visit as directed by the county board of elections, and submit that record to the county board of elections.

(g)  The Team shall assist patients or residents physically located in the Team's county, regardless of the voter's county of registration. If a patient or resident is registered to vote in another county, the county board of elections in the county where the voter is registered shall communicate any request for assistance to the county board of elections in the county where the voter is physically located.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 163A-1298(a)(4); S.L. 2013-381, s. 4.6(b);

Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2014;

Eff. October 1, 2014;

Amended Eff. December 1, 2018.