AN ACT to reduce the time allowed to place a political sign in a right‑of‑way from 30 days to 10 days before one‑stop early voting and 10 days after the primary or election.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 136‑32 reads as rewritten:

§ 136‑32.  Regulation of signs.

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(b)        Compliant Political Signs Permitted. – During the period beginning on the 30th 10th day before the beginning date of one‑stop early voting under G.S. 163‑227.2 and ending on the 10th day after the primary or election day, persons may place political signs in the right‑of‑way of the State highway system as provided in this section. Signs must be placed in compliance with subsection (d) of this section and must be removed by the end of the period prescribed in this subsection. Any political sign remaining in the right‑of‑way of the State highway system more than 30 10 days after the end of the period prescribed in this subsection shall be deemed unlawfully placed and abandoned property, and a person may remove and dispose of such political sign without penalty.

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(f)        Application Within Municipalities. – Pursuant to Article 8 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes, a city may by ordinance prohibit or regulate the placement of political signs on rights‑of‑way of streets located within the corporate limits of a municipality and maintained by the municipality. Any such ordinance shall provide that any political sign that remains in a right‑of‑way of streets located within the corporate limits of a municipality and maintained by the municipality more than 30 10 days after the end of the period prescribed in the ordinance is to be deemed unlawfully placed and abandoned property, and a person may remove and dispose of such political sign without penalty. In the absence of an ordinance prohibiting or regulating the placement of political signs on the rights‑of‑way of streets located within a municipality and maintained by the municipality, the provisions of subsections (b) through (e) of this section shall apply.

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to the placement of political signs for an election held on or after that date.