GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1309

Short Title:  Judicial District Boundaries.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Fitch; and Sam Hunt.
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Referred to:  Legislative and Local Redistricting.
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July 4, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO IMPROVE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION BY ALLOWING CHANGES IN SUPERIOR COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES TO REFLECT CHANGES IN PRECINCT BOUNDARIES SINCE ENACTMENT OF THE PLAN.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 7A-41(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	In subsection (b) above:
(1)	The names and boundaries of townships are as they were legally defined and in effect as of January 1, 1980, and recognized in the 1980 U.S. Census;
(2)	For Guilford County, precinct boundaries are as shown on maps in use by the Guilford County Board of Elections on April 15, 1987;
(3)	For Mecklenburg, Wake, and Durham Counties, precinct boundaries are as shown on the current maps in use by the appropriate county board of elections as of January 31, 1984, in accordance with G.S. 163-128(b);
(4)	For Wilson County, commissioner districts are those in use for election of members of the county board of commissioners as of January 1, 1987;
(5)	For Cumberland County, House District 17 is in accordance with the boundaries in effect on January 1, 1987.  Precincts are in accordance with those as approved by the United States Department of Justice on February 28, 1986; and
(6)	For Forsyth County, the boundaries of wards and precincts are those in effect on 'WARD MAP 1985', published November 1985 by the City of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
If any changes in precinct boundaries, wards, commissioner districts, or House of Representative districts have been made since the dates specified, or are made, those changes shall not change the boundaries of the superior court districts; provided that if any of those boundaries have changed, and a precinct is divided by a district boundary, the county board of elections of the county in which the precinct is located may change the district boundaries so the precinct is no longer divided, if:
(1)	Such change does not result in placing a superior court judge in another superior court district;
(2)	Such change does not make a district that has an effective minority electorate not have an effective minority electorate; and
(3)	The change is approved by the State Board of Elections and by the Secretary of State upon finding that the change:
a.	Will improve election administration;
b.	Does not violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and
c.	Complies with subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection."
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.