HB 834: State Board of Elections Administrative Changes. - North Carolina

Edition 4 → Ratified · 3 edits

MINOR

This diff reflects the transition of HB 834 from its Fourth Edition Engrossed version to its final Ratified version. No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions. The only differences are formatting and metadata updates: the header was changed to indicate ratified status, the short title (SBOE Administrative Changes) and sponsor/referred-to metadata lines were removed, and page headers were updated from 'Fourth Edition' to 'Ratified.'

TECHNICAL

Header changed from edition tracking information (Second Edition Engrossed 5/14/25, Senate Elections Committee Substitute Adopted 7/28/26, Fourth Edition Engrossed 7/28/26) to simply 'RATIFIED BILL'

Short title 'SBOE Administrative Changes' and sponsor/referred-to metadata lines were removed from the ratified version

Page headers changed from 'House Bill 834-Fourth Edition' to 'House Bill 834-Ratified' throughout the document

Ratified → SL 2026-60 · 3 edits

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made. The diff reflects only the administrative transition from a ratified bill to its publication as Session Law 2026-60, including updated headers, the governor's signed approval date (August 11, 2026), and a minor section numbering correction.

TECHNICAL

Section 4 heading changed from 'SECTION 4.' to 'SECTION 4(a)' - a minor numbering correction.

Governor's signature block updated from blank lines to the signed name of Josh Stein with approval date of August 11, 2026 at 8:03 a.m.

All page headers and footers updated from 'House Bill 834-Ratified' to 'Session Law 2026-60 / House Bill 834' for formal publication as a session law.

Edition 3 → Edition 4 · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill version was updated from Edition 3 to Edition 4, reflecting a new date and version number. The substantive text of the bill regarding voter eligibility and provisional ballot procedures remains unchanged, with only minor line renumbering and the addition of a new line break in the middle of a sentence.

TECHNICAL

The bill header was updated to reflect the change from Edition 3 to Edition 4, dated July 28, 2026.

Internal page markers and line numbers were adjusted to match the new edition, though the actual legal text content is identical.

Edition 2 → Edition 3 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift its focus from requiring hunters and anglers to register to vote to making general changes to election laws. The new version extends the deadline for voters to correct registration errors and cure signature issues on provisional ballots from the third to the fifth business day after an election, while also clarifying rules for voters who have recently moved within a county.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a specific requirement tied to hunting and fishing licenses to a broad set of amendments affecting all voters and election officials statewide.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions requiring voters applying for hunting or fishing licenses to be offered voter registration forms and organ donor registry participation.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for voters to correct incomplete registration forms and cure signature defects on provisional ballots to the fifth business day after the election.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that voters who have moved within a county more than 30 days prior to an election do not need to vote a provisional ballot if their registration status can be verified at the early voting site.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for election officials to provide written information to provisional voters explaining how to check if their ballot was counted and why it might have been rejected.

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to clarify that applicants must be offered a voter registration form, specifically requiring the Wildlife Resources Commission to mail this form to online applicants who opt-in. A new provision explicitly states that the act does not authorize online voter registration, limiting the scope of the voter registration offer to in-person or mail-in methods only. The version number was updated to reflect the second edition.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding voter registration was narrowed by explicitly excluding online voter registration, changing how the registration form is delivered to online applicants from a general offer to a specific mail-in process.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for the Wildlife Resources Commission to mail voter registration forms to online applicants who opt-in, rather than just offering the opportunity.

Added a specific clause stating that the act does not authorize online voter registration.

Modified the language to specify that the voter registration form shall be offered, clarifying the nature of the opportunity.

TECHNICAL

Updated the version identifier from H834-v-1 to H834-v-2.

A1: ASTE-19-V-4 → Edition 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The document was converted from an amendment proposal to the full text of House Bill 834. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, requiring hunters and anglers to be offered voter registration and organ donor registry options, but the bill is now presented as a complete act with a specific effective date of July 1, 2025, rather than a pending amendment.

Scope change

The document scope changed from a proposed amendment to a complete bill with a defined effective date.

TIMELINE

Added a specific effective date of July 1, 2025, for the new requirements.

TECHNICAL

Added a formal short title ('Sportsman's Voter Act') and sponsor list.

Removed the amendment-specific header, signature lines for the committee, and the text proposing changes to lines 8-9 and 11-12.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for the Wildlife Resources Commission to adopt rules was updated to include consultation with the Division of Motor Vehicles in addition to the State Board of Elections.

A1: ABKE-55-V-2 → A1: ASTE-19-V-4 · 3 edits

MINOR

The amendment shifts the bill's focus from a minor federal law consistency update to a significant expansion of voter registration procedures. It requires the licensing commission to actively mail voter registration forms to online applicants and establish a new section explicitly stating that the act does not authorize online voter registration.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general legal consistency clause to specific operational requirements for voter registration distribution within the licensing process.

REQUIREMENT

Added a mandate for the Commission to collaborate with the State Board of Elections to mail voter registration forms to individuals applying for licenses or permits online.

Inserted a new section clarifying that the act does not expand or authorize online voter registration.

Removed instructions to insert language regarding consistency with federal law in the existing text.

Filed → A1: ABKE-55-V-2 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its status as an amendment (A1) rather than the original filed version, and the header information was changed to indicate adoption by the Senate. The substantive content of the bill remains the same, requiring hunting and fishing license applicants to be offered voter registration and organ donor registry opportunities.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies to all persons seeking hunting or fishing licenses in North Carolina.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to show the bill as 'ADOPTED' and 'AMENDMENT' instead of the original 'FILED' status, reflecting its progression through the legislative process.

The bill title and sponsor information were replaced with standard amendment formatting, including a request to move an amendment on page 6 regarding federal law compliance.

Original file metadata, including the specific bill number (DRH10392-STe-29A) and the short title 'Sportsman's Voter Act', were removed in favor of the amendment tracking number (H834-ABKe-55-v-2).

State Board of Elections Administrative Changes.

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