GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE BILL 271

Short Title:      Partisan Elections/Muni./Cabarrus Co.		(Local)
Sponsors:	Representatives Echevarria, Campbell, and Almond (Primary Sponsors). For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to:	Election Law, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

March 5, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to provide that regular MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS for municipalities in cabarrus county shall be conducted on a PARTISAN basis and to provide that only voters residing in the district the city council member represents shall vote for that member in the city of concord.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 3.1 of the Charter of the City of Concord, being Chapter 861 of the 1985 Session Laws, as amended by Ordinance No. 1995‑02‑09, adopted February 9, 1995, and Ordinance No. 96‑105, adopted November 14, 1996, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 3.1. Regular municipal elections; conduct and method of election. Pursuant to G.S. 160A-101, the Charter of the City of Concord, as set forth in Chapter 861 of the 1985 Session Laws of North Carolina, as amended, is hereby further amended to implement nonpartisan plurality for elections (G.S. 163-292) of the City Board of Aldermen [city council].Beginning in 2025, regular municipal elections shall be held in the city every odd‑numbered year and shall be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of North Carolina. The Mayor and the City Council shall be elected according to the partisan election method, as provided in G.S. 163‑291. In 2025, and quadrennially thereafter, the Mayor and three council members, who shall represent Districts 3, 4, and 5, shall be nominated and elected for four‑year terms. In 2027, and quadrennially thereafter, four council members, who shall represent Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7, shall be nominated and elected for four‑year terms."

SECTION 1.(b)  Section 3.2 of the Charter of the City of Concord, being Chapter 861 of the 1985 Session Laws, as amended by Ordinance No. 96‑105, adopted November 14, 1996, and Ordinance No. 02‑11, adopted April 11, 2002, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 3.2. Election of the Mayor and City Council. (a) The Mayor shall be nominated and elected by all the voters of the city voting at large.

(b) The City Council shall consist of seven members serving staggered four‑year terms and each member shall reside in and represent a district of the city but shall be nominated and elected by all the voters of the city voting at large.city. Only the qualified voters residing in that district may vote for the member from that district."

SECTION 2.  Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Harrisburg, being Chapter 111 of the 1973 Session Laws, as amended by Town Ordinance adopted on July 13, 2015, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 4.1. Regular Municipal Elections. Regular municipal elections shall be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd‑numbered year, beginning in 1973. Council members hall be elected on a nonpartisan basis and the results determined by plurality, as approved in the North Carolina General Statutes.Town officers shall be elected according to the partisan election method, as provided in G.S. 163‑291."

SECTION 3.  Section 4‑1 of the Charter of the City of Kannapolis, as adopted by the Kannapolis Charter Commission on December 11, 1984, pursuant to Chapter 191 of the 1983 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

"Sec. 4‑1. Conduct of city elections. City officers shall be elected on a non-partisan basis and the results determined by plurality, as provided in the North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 163, Section 292.partisan basis, as provided in G.S. 163‑291."

SECTION 4.  Section 4.1 of the Charter of the Town of Midland, being S.L. 2000‑91, reads as rewritten:

"Section 4.1.  Conduct of Town Elections.  Regular municipal elections shall be held in each odd‑numbered year in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of North Carolina. Elections shall be conducted on a nonpartisan basis and results determined by a plurality as provided in G.S. 163-292.partisan basis, as provided in G.S. 163‑291."

SECTION 5.  Section C‑3.2 of the Charter of the Town of Mount Pleasant, being Chapter 77 of the Private Laws of 1883, as amended by Town Ordinance adopted on February 11, 2019, reads as rewritten:

"Section C‑3.2. Manner of Election; Term of Office The qualified voters of the entire Town shall elect the Mayor and members of the Town Board of Commissioners that shall serve staggered four (4) year terms. Nonpartisan plurality elections Elections shall take place every two years, in odd‑numbered years, with three commissioners being elected during one election cycle, and two commissioners and the Mayor during the next election cycle, and so on. Town officers shall be elected according to the partisan election method, as provided in G.S. 163‑291. Absentee ballots are permitted pursuant to Board of Elections requirements. The present Mayor, Commissioners and other officers of Mount Pleasant shall hold said offices with all the powers, privileges, rights and responsibilities which this charter and the former charter conferred until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified."

SECTION 6.  This act shall have the effect of repealing any conflicting provisions of local or special acts or conflicting local ordinances relating to the nonpartisan municipal elections for any municipalities covered by this act. This act shall not affect the filling of a vacancy in a municipal election that occurs for a seat elected prior to the effective date of this act.

SECTION 7.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law and applies to elections held in 2025 and thereafter.