163-288.1. Activating voters for newly annexed or incorporated areas.

(a) Whenever any new city or special district is incorporated or whenever an existing city or district annexes any territory, the city or special district shall cause a map of the corporate or district limits to be prepared from the boundary descriptions in the act, charter or other document creating the city or district or authorizing or implementing the annexation. The map shall be delivered to the county board of elections conducting the elections for the city or special district. The board of elections shall then activate for city or district elections each voter eligible to vote in the city or district who is registered to vote in the county to the extent that residence addresses shown on the county registration certificates can be identified as within the limits of the city or special district. Each voter whose registration is thus activated for city or special district elections shall be so notified by mail. The cost of preparing the map of the newly incorporated city or special district or of the newly annexed area, and of activating voters eligible to vote therein, shall be paid by the city or special district. In lieu of the procedures set forth in this section, the county board of elections may use either of the methods of registration of voters set out in G.S. 163-288.2 when activating voters pursuant to the incorporation of a new city or election of city officials or both under authority of an act of the General Assembly or when activating voters after an annexation of new territory by a city or special district under Chapter 160A, Article 4A, or other general or local law.

(b) Each voter whose registration is changed by the county or municipal board of elections in any manner pursuant to any annexation or expunction under this subsection shall be so notified by mail.

(c) The State Board of Elections shall have authority to adopt regulations for the more detailed administration of this section.