Overview

The North Carolina State Board of Elections is in charge of election administration statewide and has general supervision over all elections in the state. “About;” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(a). Their Executive Director is the Chief Elections Officer of the state. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-82.2.

Election-Related Duties

The key duties of the State Board of Elections are:

Administrative

  1. Issuing rules and regulations regarding the conduct of elections. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(a).
  2. Providing the public with explanations of election laws and procedures as necessary. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(b).
  3. Overseeing the compliance of County Boards of Elections with election laws and procedures, including the power to remove its members from office. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(c).
  4. Investigating election law violations and reporting violations to the State Bureau of Investigation. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(d).
  5. Promulgating interim rules and regulations if an existing statute is held to be unconstitutional or is invalidated. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22.2.
  6. Having the power to cause the arrest of individuals interfering with its sessions. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-24.
  7. Having the power to assist in litigation involving County Boards of Elections. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-25.
  8. Conducting the training and certification of County Boards of Elections members and other election officials. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-82.24.
  9. Promulgating rules for post-election processes. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-166.10.
  10. Conducting post-election audits and producing reports on them. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-182.12A.

Canvassing and Certification

  1. Tabulating election results for races spanning more than one county, declaring results, and preparing abstracts. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-22(h).
  2. Having the power to hear or to appoint a panel to hear an election challenge, depending on the size of the district of the election. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-127.3.
  3. Conducting the statewide canvass. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-182.5(c).