§ 163‑296. Nominationby petition.
In cities conducting partisanelections, any qualified voter who seeks to have his name printed on theregular municipal election ballot as an unaffiliated candidate may do so in themanner provided in G.S. 163‑122, except that the petitions and affidavitsshall be filed not later than 12:00 noon on the Friday preceding the seventhSaturday before the election, and the petitions shall be signed by a number ofqualified voters of the municipality equal to at least four percent (4%) of thewhole number of voters qualified to vote in the municipal election according tothe voter registration records of the State Board of Elections as of January 1of the year in which the general municipal election is held. A person whose nameappeared on the ballot in a primary election is not eligible to have his nameplaced on the regular municipal election ballot as an unaffiliated candidatefor the same office in that year. The Board of Elections shall examine andverify the signatures on the petition, and shall certify only the names ofsigners who are found to be qualified registered voters in the municipality.Provided that in the case where a qualified voter seeks to have his nameprinted on the regular municipal election ballot as an unaffiliated candidatefor election from an election district within the municipality, the petitionshall be signed by four percent (4%) of the voters qualified to vote for thatoffice. (1971,c. 835, s. 1; 1979, c. 23, ss. 2, 4, 5; c. 534, ss. 3, 4; 1989, c. 402; 1991,c. 297, s. 2; 2004‑127, s. 8(b); 2006‑264, s. 21.)