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North Carolina and the Specter of Partisan Gerrymandering

From the earliest days of the American republic, the party in power has drawn election district lines to enhance its own electoral chances and minimize the chances of the opposing party. The very term gerrymander comes from just such a district drawn in Massachusetts in 1812.

How far can the legislature go? Is there a point at which partisan advantage is such a controlling factor that...

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What if No Candidates File? An Election without Candidates?

There is an open seat—District 2—on the board of county commissioners, up for election. It will be voted on in November, along with other county offices (like sheriff and school board), district offices (like state senate and district attorney), and statewide offices (like governor and commissioner of labor). The candidate filing period has come and gone, and Republican candidates have filed...

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The Candidate’s Pledge under North Carolina Law

Want to run for elective office in North Carolina—state legislature, governor, county commissioner, sheriff, or some other office? For most offices you’ll have to run in the primary election of your party. (A few offices—mainly city councils and school boards—are nonpartisan and do not have party primaries.) To run in the party primary, you’ll have to file a notice of candidacy and pay a...

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Municipal Elections--Odd Year and Odd Man Out

In North Carolina, we do our voting for almost all elected officials in even-numbered years. It’s in 2012 and 2014 and 2016 that we vote for statewide executive branch and judicial branch officials, members of the General Assembly, district attorneys, sheriffs, clerks of court, registers of deeds, county commissioners, and federal officers. That’s a lot of offices and it makes for what is...

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Retention Elections for the State Supreme Court?

The North Carolina General Assembly has just enacted House Bill 222 and it now awaits the governor’s signature. It would change the way we elect our state supreme court justices. After once being elected in a regular contested election, the justice thereafter would be subject only to yes/no retention votes at the end of each eight-year term. That is, after that...

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Winter Elections Conference

The Winter Elections Conference is sponsored by the School of Government and the NC State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. The conference focuses on law and practical skills for elections directors and elections office employees.

In accordance with G.S. §163-82.24(a), conference attendance is mandatory for individuals in the following categories:

- County...

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Book

County and Municipal Government in North Carolina, Second Edition, 2014 (eBook)

Preview the Table of Contents and Preface

Preview Chapter One: An Overview of Local Government

This reference book on North Carolina county and municipal government provides a comprehensive treatment of the legal foundations, organization, and the administration of the state’s counties and cities. This book describes the legal framework and common administrative practices that are...

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County and Municipal Government in North Carolina, Second Edition, 2014 (Hard Copy Format)

This reference book on North Carolina county and municipal government provides a comprehensive treatment of the legal foundations, organization, and the administration of the state's counties and cities. This book describes the legal framework and common administrative practices that are currently in use and explains what counties and cities in North Carolina do, and how they do it.

...

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Three-judge Panels

Two recent lawsuits have drawn attention as the first to be subject to a new state law treating some constitutional challenges differently from other lawsuits. The first case was brought by the town of Boone, seeking to invalidate a legislative act stripping the town of its extra-territorial jurisdiction. Governor McCrory filed the second lawsuit, disputing the General Assembly’s authority to...

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You’ve Won Your Election – Time for Ethics Training!

Elections are over, TV ads are back to normal, and mail boxes are no longer full of campaign flyers. Ballots are being counted, results will be certified, and oaths of office taken. Among the other duties and obligations required of newly elected and reelected local government officials is that they participate in mandatory ethics training. If you are a newly elected official, you may not be...

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That Court of Appeals Ballot

In July John Martin, the chief judge of the Court of Appeals, announced his retirement effective August 1st. Given the timing of his decision, state law requires an election in November to fill the seat but no primary in advance to reduce the number of candidates. It appears that everyone who has ever aspired to be an appellate judge sees this as an opportunity to catch the ring, and 19...

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Election Day Voting vs. Early Voting in North Carolina

There are two distinct ways to cast your ballot in person in North Carolina. The first is traditional election-day voting at your assigned precinct polling place. The other is what has commonly come to be called early voting at one of several sites established around your county. For a little history of early voting, click here. How Early Voting is Different From Election Day Voting Early...