Bill > S652

This bill addresses situations where a member of the North Carolina General Assembly (state legislature) changes their political party affiliation during their term of office. Specifically, if a legislator switches parties with more than six months remaining in their term, two key actions are mandated: first, the legislator's seat is automatically deemed vacant, which triggers a special election to be held within 90 days of the party change, with the State Board of Elections responsible for developing guidelines and procedures for conducting this election; second, the legislator must return any campaign contributions received during the most recent election cycle upon the request of individual contributors, with such refunds required to be processed within 30 days of the request. The bill aims to enhance voter confidence and accountability by ensuring that constituents have the opportunity to re-elect their representative if that representative changes their political affiliation, and by allowing campaign donors to reclaim their contributions if they no longer support the legislator's new political stance. The legislation applies to both elected and appointed members of the General Assembly and is effective immediately upon becoming law.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S652