Petitions

Purpose of Petitions  - Petitions are used  to place issues and candidates upon ballots.  

View Statewide Petitions -  To view current statewide petitions and the status of the petition click here.

Creating Petitions - Before you begin distributing a petition, you need to be aware of the laws governing your particular petition, as well as general provisions pertaining to petitions in North Carolina.  This web site guides you through the process and provides statutes and petition templates.  These templates conform to requirements listed in the General Statutes.

We encourage you to contact the State Board of Elections if you have any questions.  If you follow the steps listed below and use the petition templates provided, you should encounter few problems in processing your petition.

Before you begin, make sure you have  Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to read the statutes and forms.  If you do not have this application installed on your computer, click  http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html and follow their instructions to download a free copy.

Now, follow these links and instructions:

1. Click here to read the laws governing petitions in general.

2. Click here to read the law governing your petition.

3. Click here to see a list of Petition Forms.  When you select your petition form, print a copy and reproduce as many copies as you need to gather required signatures.

4. Click here to find out who to call to obtain the number of signatures that you will need.

5. If the petition is a State-Wide Petition, notify the State Board of Elections of your intention to file.  You can do this by completing the top portion of the petition and faxing it to (919) 715-0135 or by mailing it to Deputy Director of Administration, NC State Board of Elections, PO Box 27255, Raleigh, NC 27603.  In addition to the petition information, you will need to provide a contact name, mailing address and telephone number.

6. Gather signatures.  File your petition with the County Board of Elections where the voters who sign are registered.  Use one set of petition forms for each county.  If a voter does not reside in the county, municipality, or township for which the petition is filed, his or her signature will not be counted.  Note also that persons cannot sign the petition for anyone other than himself or herself.

7. The appropriate County Board of Elections will certify the petition signatures.  If the petition is a State-Wide Petition, the county will submit certification to the State Board of Elections. 

8. The State Board will notify you when the required number of signatures has been collected.  If the petition is a county or municipal petition, the County Board of Elections will contact you.

Other Information

General Statutes
Specific Statutes
Petition Templates
Signature Requirements