A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to confirm the applicability of a 1961 local act to elections for the bertie county board of education AS has been the procedure followed by the board and election officials.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Except as modified by this act, pursuant to Article 5 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes, the Bertie County Board of Education consists of five members elected in nonpartisan elections in even‑numbered years. As provided in Chapter 764 of the Session Laws of 1961, and as has been the practice since that time, elections shall be by residency districts.  That is, candidates for each of the five seats, and board members elected to those seats, shall reside in particular districts, but all seats shall be voted upon by all eligible voters in the county.  The five districts are:
	District 1 – Windsor Township.
	District 2 – Merry Hill and Whites Townships.
	District 3 – Colerain and Mitchell Townships.
	District 4 – Roxabel and Woodville Townships.
	District 5 – Snakebite and Indian Woods Townships.
SECTION 2.  As provided in Section 3 of Chapter 764 of the Session Laws of 1961, and as has been the practice since that time, board members shall serve staggered, four‑year terms.  The board members representing Districts 2, 3, and 4 shall be elected in 2006 and every four years thereafter.  The board members representing Districts 1 and 5 shall be elected in 2008 and every four years thereafter.
SECTION 3.  Except as provided in this act, members of the Bertie County Board of Education shall be elected according to general State law.
SECTION 4.  This act is intended to codify and confirm the election method that has been in place since 1961.
SECTION 5.  Elections conducted before the effective date of this act using residency districts and staggered terms for election of members of the Bertie County Board of Education are ratified and shall be considered lawful.
SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.