HB 85 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Removal of Precinct Officials.

HB 85 (title "Removal of Precinct Officials" is misleading) prohibits individuals from working in any election-related role if found to have failed to exercise due care and diligence during election work. This applies to all election workers - paid or volunteer - who are determined negligent in their duties. The bill creates a permanent ban from future election work for such individuals, regardless of their specific position. It does not specify what constitutes "failure to exercise due care," leaving that determination to election authorities. The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Last action Apr 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten from a version prohibiting election workers from working due to negligence to a version clarifying when precinct officials can be removed for failing their duties. The new version also establishes minimum staffing requirements for emergency election-day assistants and adds specific training mandates for precinct officials.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general prohibition on election workers to specifically address precinct officials' removal, eligibility requirements, minimum staffing levels, and training obligations.

REQUIREMENT

Removed a provision that would prohibit any individual from working in elections if they failed to exercise due care and diligence.

Established a minimum requirement of six emergency election-day assistants per county based on population and expected turnout.

Added training requirements for precinct officials through State Board of Elections programs.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for county boards to remove precinct officials for incompetency or failure to discharge duties, with the ability to prohibit them from serving in future elections.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific disqualifications for precinct officials, including holding elected office, being a candidate, or holding party office positions.

DEFINITION

Added a definition clarifying that 'precinct official' includes chief judges, judges of election, and election-day assistants.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 8, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Judiciary 1

lower

Apr 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav Com Substitute

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Committee

Ref to the Com on Election Law, if favorable, Judiciary 1, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 2 co-sponsors