Senate Bill 226: Freedom to Vote

• Appropriates $18,961,587 in recurring funds annually for the 2023-2025 biennium to the State Board of Elections to support county boards and improve voter services.

• Establishes voter intimidation, threats, and coercion as Class H felonies for threatening voters for voting choices, challenging voters on fraudulent grounds, or advising voters they are ineligible when they are registered; creates Class A1 misdemeanor penalties for intimidation or coercion; and establishes a Voter Intimidation Restitution Fund from court-ordered fines.

• Creates online voter registration system available on the State Board of Elections website with immediate electronic confirmation; requires statewide voter registration list maintenance with matching of complete date of birth and last four digits of Social Security number before removal; and expands one-stop early voting hours to 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on all Saturdays and 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. on all Sundays during the early voting period.

• Directs the University of North Carolina School of Government to study and report by February 1, 2024, on options for creating a nonpartisan redistricting process for state and federal legislative districts, with intent to implement following the 2030 census.

• Appropriates $215,000 in recurring funds and $90,000 in nonrecurring funds for the 2023-2025 biennium to implement online voter registration.