1. (a) This Section shall only apply to new party petitions.

2. (b) For the purposes of this Section:

   1. (1) "New party petition" means a petition to be recognized as a political party pursuant to G.S. 163-96.
   2. (2) "Prospective party" means a political party, including its officers and organizers, seeking recognition as a political party in the State through a new party petition.
   3. (3) "Signature threshold requirement" means the number of verified signatures necessary to meet the signature threshold in G.S. 163-96(a)(2), measured by the combined number of votes cast for all candidates in the most recent general election for Governor.
   4. (4) "Target election" means the first statewide general election in which the proposed political party desires to participate.
3. (c) For the purposes of this Chapter, the final action on a new party petition shall be the State Board's decision whether to recognize the petitioning party as a political party in North Carolina pursuant to Rule .0306 of this Section.

History Note: Authority G.S. 163-22; 163-96;
Eff. September 1, 2025.