§ 163-107.1. Petition in lieu of payment of filing fee.
§ 163‑107.1. Petitionin lieu of payment of filing fee.
(a) Any qualified voterwho seeks nomination in the party primary of the political party with which heaffiliates may, in lieu of payment of any filing fee required for the office heseeks, file a written petition requesting him to be a candidate for a specifiedoffice with the appropriate board of elections, State, county or municipal.
(b) If the candidate isseeking the office of United States Senator, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, orany State executive officer, the petition must be signed by 10,000 registeredvoters who are members of the political party in whose primary the candidatedesires to run, except that in the case of a political party as defined by G.S.163‑96(a)(2) which will be making nominations by primary election, thepetition must be signed by ten percent (10%) of the registered voters of theState who are affiliated with the same political party in whose primary thecandidate desires to run, or in the alternative, the petition shall be signedby no less than 10,000 registered voters regardless of the voter's politicalparty affiliation, whichever requirement is greater. The petition must be filedwith the State Board of Elections not later than 12:00 noon on Monday precedingthe filing deadline before the primary in which he seeks to run. The names onthe petition shall be verified by the board of elections of the county wherethe signer is registered, and the petition must be presented to the countyboard of elections at least 15 days before the petition is due to be filed withthe State Board of Elections. When a proper petition has been filed, thecandidate's name shall be printed on the primary ballot.
(c) County, Municipaland District Primaries. If the candidate is seeking one of the offices setforth in G.S. 163‑106(c) but which is not listed in subsection (b) ofthis section, or a municipal or any other office requiring a partisan primarywhich is not set forth in G.S. 163‑106(c) or (d), he shall file a writtenpetition with the appropriate board of elections no later than 12:00 noon onMonday preceding the filing deadline before the primary. The petition shall besigned by ten percent (10%) of the registered voters of the election area inwhich the office will be voted for, who are affiliated with the same politicalparty in whose primary the candidate desires to run, or in the alternative, thepetition shall be signed by no less than 200 registered voters regardless ofsaid voter's political party affiliation, whichever requirement is greater. Theboard of elections shall verify the names on the petition, and if the petitionis found to be sufficient, the candidate's name shall be printed on theappropriate primary ballot. Petitions for candidates for member of the U.S.House of Representatives, District Attorney, and members of the State House ofRepresentatives from multi‑county districts or members of the StateSenate from multi‑county districts must be presented to the county boardof elections for verification at least 15 days before the petition is due to befiled with the State Board of Elections, and such petition must be filed withthe State Board of Elections no later than 12:00 noon on Monday preceding thefiling deadline. The State Board of Elections may adopt rules to implement thissection and to provide standard petition forms.
(d) NonpartisanPrimaries and Elections. Any qualified voter who seeks to be a candidate inany nonpartisan primary or election may, in lieu of payment of the filing feerequired, file a written petition signed by ten percent (10%) of the registeredvoters in the election area in which the office will be voted for with theappropriate board of elections. Any qualified voter may sign the petition. Thepetition shall state the candidate's name, address and the office which he isseeking. The petition must be filed with the appropriate board of elections nolater than 60 days prior to the filing deadline for the primary or election,and if found to be sufficient, the candidate's name shall be printed on theballot. (1975,c. 853; 1977, c. 386; 1985, c. 563, s. 13; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 9, s. 12;2001‑403, s. 7; 2002‑158, s. 11.)