GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 870

Short Title:  Raleigh Council Districts.	(Local)
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Sponsors: Representative Pope.
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Referred to:  Government.
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March 27, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ALLOW THE CITY OF RALEIGH TO ESTABLISH A PAIRED-DISTRICT PLAN FOR ELECTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 160A-101(6) reads as rewritten:
"(6)	Mode of election of the council:
a.	All candidates shall be nominated and elected by all the qualified voters of the city.
b.	The city shall be divided into single-member electoral districts; council members shall be apportioned to the districts so that each member represents the same number of persons as nearly as possible, except for members apportioned to the city at large, if any; the qualified voters of each district shall nominate and elect candidates who reside in the district for seats apportioned to that district; and all the qualified voters of the city shall nominate and elect candidates apportioned to the city at large, if any.
b1.	The city shall be divided into an six single-member electoral districts; council members shall be apportioned to the districts so that each member represents the same number of persons as nearly as possible; the qualified voters of each district shall nominate and elect candidates who reside in the district for the seat apportioned to that district.  Those six single-member electoral districts shall be paired to form three single-member electoral districts; the qualified voters of each district shall nominate and elect candidates who reside in the district for the seat apportioned to that district.  No seats shall be apportioned to the city at large.
c.	The city shall be divided into single-member electoral districts; council members shall be apportioned to the districts so that each member represents the same number of persons as nearly as possible, except for members apportioned to the city at large; and candidates shall reside in and represent the districts according to the apportionment plan adopted, but all candidates shall be nominated and elected by all the qualified voters of the city.
d.	The city shall be divided into electoral districts equal in number to one half the number of council seats; the council seats shall be divided equally into ‘ward seats' and ‘at-large seats,' one each of which shall be apportioned to each district, so that each council member represents the same number of persons as nearly as possible; the qualified voters of each district shall nominate and elect candidates to the ‘ward seats'; candidates for the ‘at-large seats' shall reside in and represent the districts according to the apportionment plan adopted, but all candidates for ‘at-large' seats shall be nominated and elected by all the qualified voters of the city.
e.	The city shall be divided into single-member electoral districts; council members shall be apportioned to the districts so that each member represents the same number of persons as nearly as possible, except for members apportioned to the city at large, if any; in a nonpartisan primary, the qualified voters of each district shall nominate two candidates who reside in the district, and the qualified voters of the entire city shall nominate two candidates for each seat apportioned to the city at large, if any; and all candidates shall be elected by all the qualified voters of the city.
If either of options b, b1, c, d or e is adopted, the council shall divide the city into the requisite number of single-member electoral districts according to the apportionment plan adopted, and shall cause a map of the districts so laid out to be drawn up and filed as provided by G.S. 160A-22 and 160A-23. No more than one half of the council may be apportioned to the city at large.  An initiative petition may specify the number of single-member electoral districts to be laid out, but the drawing of district boundaries and apportionment of members to the districts shall be done in all cases by the council."
Sec. 2.  This act applies to the City of Raleigh only.
Sec. 3.  This act is effective upon ratification.