08 NCAC 22 .0103             INITIATION OF PETITIONS

(a)  A petitioner shall initiate a petition by timely filing a completed petition request form with the board of elections in person, by mail, or by email. A copy of the request form may be obtained from the State Board of Elections website (https://www.ncsbe.gov/candidates/petitions). A petition request form shall be considered timely filed with the board of elections if it is filed during the election cycle and no later than the petition's statutory deadline for submitting signature sheets for signature verification.

(b)  The petitioner shall include the following information on the petition request form:

(1)           First and last name of the petitioner and any designated representative of the petitioner.

(2)           Residential address, mailing address, phone number, and email address of the petitioner.

(3)           The petition type, as set forth in Rule .0101(a) of this Section.

(4)           If the petition type is to form a political party as identified in Rule .0101(a)(1) of this Section, the name of the proposed political party, the first and last name, current residential address, and current phone number of the state chair of the proposed political party, and the first statewide general election in which the proposed political party desires to participate.

(5)           If the petition type is one identified in Rule .0101(a)(2), (3), (4), or (5) of this Section, the jurisdiction or district of the contest.

(6)           The manner in which the petitioner requests to be provided a signature sheet template, whether by in-person pickup, mail delivery, or email.

(7)           A signed acknowledgement that the petitioner will be informed of the requirements in Chapter 163 of the North Carolina General Statutes and this Chapter applicable to the petition.

(c)  Within one business day of the receipt of a completed petition request form, the board of elections shall write on the petition request form the date the form was filed, the number of signatures required to meet the signature threshold for the petition, and the statutory deadline for submitting signature sheets for signature verification, and then provide a copy of the request form to the petitioner via email. The board of elections shall include with that email written instructions for how the petitioner may access the requirements in Chapter 163 of the North Carolina General Statutes and this Chapter applicable to the petition.

(d)  A petitioner registering with a board of elections a notice of circulation of a petition calling for any election or referendum pursuant to G.S. 163-218 shall do so by filing the petition request form required by this Rule. The county board of elections shall write on the request form the date on which the completed request form was filed, which shall be the date of registration of the petition, and then provide a copy of the request form to the petitioner via email.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 163-22; 163-96; 163-107.1; 163-122; 163-123; 163-213.5; 163-218; 163-219; 163-221; 163-296;

Eff. September 1, 2025.