Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

Moves the content of the previous edition into new Part IV and makes the following changes. Amends Section 4.2 of the Simpson Charter to specify that municipal elections will be conducted on a nonpartisan plurality basis (was, nonpartisan basis in the previous edition). Makes additional technical and clarifying changes.

Adds the following content and makes conforming changes to the act’s titles.

Part I.

Amends GS 153A-27.1 (pertaining to vacancies on board of commissioners in certain counties) so that it also applies to Cabarrus County.

Part II.

Amends SL 1963-96, concerning the Board of Education of Currituck County, as follows. Provides that members of the Board are to serve staggered four-year terms, with four members elected from residency districts and one member elected from the county at-large. Requires those elected from residency districts to be a qualified voter and resident of the residency district. Requires members to be elected on a partisan basis at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year. Requires the elections to be conducted according to GS Chapters 115C and 163. Requires vacancies due to death, resignation, or other causes to be filled according to GS 115C-37.1 (makes conforming changes to GS 115C-37.1). Specifies that this does not affect the terms of office of any person elected to the Board in 2024 and that vacancies for members elected in 2024 must be filled by appointment by the remaining members. Requires filling vacancies in a seat elected for a residency district with a person elected from that same district. Requires members elected in 2024 or appointed to fill a vacancy for a member elected in 2024 to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified.

Makes the question of changing the method of election for the Board members subject to a vote by the qualified voters of Currituck County at the general election on November 3, 2026. If the majority of the votes are in favor of the change, the changes become effective the first Monday in December 2028, with elections in 2028 and thereafter conducted accordingly.

Amends SL 1987-193, concerning the Pitt County Board of Education, as follows. Requires that members of the Pitt County Board of Education be elected on a partisan basis at the time of the general election in even-numbered years as terms expire. Requires members to serve staggered terms. Directs that Board members are to be nominated at the same time and in the same manner as other county officers and that they serve until their successors are elected and qualified. Requires members to take office on the first Monday in December after the election, and requires the elections to be conducted in accordance with GS Chapters 115C and 163.

Requires vacancies to be filled using the process set forth in GS 115C-37.1 (was, by appointment by the remaining members of the Board).

Clarifies that this does not affect the term of office of any Board member elected or appointed to fill a vacancy in 2024. Specifies that any Board vacancy for a member elected in 2024 should be filled by appointment by the remaining Board members. 

Effective the first Monday in December 2026, with elections in 2026 and thereafter conducted accordingly.

Part III.

Amends SL 1965-760, the Charter of the Town of Alliance, by amending Section 8 by removing the specified date for the board of commissioner’s organizational meeting and making other technical changes. Amends Section 14 of the Charter to require that regular election of members of the board of commissioners be held at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year instead of odd-numbered years. Requires the board of commissioners to be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, with the results determined according to GS 163-292. Amends Section 15 to require elections to be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal laws in GS Chapter 163. Repeals Sections: 16 (concerning nominations for candidates for the board of commissioners), 17 (requiring voters to be registered to vote in the Town), 18 (concerning notice of elections), and 19 (concerning the process for the election of the county commissioners). Prohibits conducting elections in the Town in 2025. Extends the terms of office of the five commissioners who terms are set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in even-numbered years beginning in 2026.

Requires regular municipal elections for officers in the Town of Arapahoe to be held at the time of the general election each even-numbered year. Requires the election to be conducted on a nonpartisan plurality basis, with the result determined according to GS 163-292. Requires the election to be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in GS Chapter 163. Prohibits holding municipal elections in Arapahoe in 2025. Extends the terms of office of the mayor and five commissioners whose terms are set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in even-numbered years starting in 2026.

Amends SL 1903-110, the Charter of the Town of Bayboro, as follows. Amends Section 2 to specify that the Town’s governing body consists of a mayor and five town commissioners (was, three). Requires commissioners to be elected to staggered four-year terms (was, two-year terms). Requires regular municipal elections to be held at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year. Requires the mayor and town commissioners to be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis, with the results determined according to GS 163-292. Requires municipal elections to be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws in GS Chapter 163. Removes other election-related provisions. Prohibits conducting elections in the Town in 2025. Extends the terms of the mayor and two commissioners whose terms are set to expire in 2025 by one year. Extends the terms of the three commissioners whose terms are set to expire in 2027 by one year. Requires regular municipal elections to be held in Bayboro in even-numbered years beginning in 2026.

Requires even-year elections for the Town of Grantsboro (Sections 3-3, 3-4, 4-1, and 4-2 of the town’s charter, SL 1997-446) beginning in 2028. Sets the time of regular municipal elections as the same time as the general election. Specifies that council members are to be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis. Specifies that the elections must be conducted in line with the uniform municipal laws in GS Chapter 163. Makes additional technical and clarifying changes. Specifies that municipal elections will not be held in 2027 and extends current mayoral and council member terms expiring that year by one year, to 2028. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in even-numbered years beginning in 2028.

Amends SL 1971-626, the Charter of the Town of Mesic, as follows. Amends Section 4.1 to require regular municipal elections to be held at the time of the general election in even-numbered years (was, in odd-numbered years). Requires the mayor and commissioners to be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis with the results determined in accordance with GS 163-292. Repeals Section 4.2, which concerns filing a notice of candidacy for mayor. Amends Section 4.3 by requiring all municipal elections to be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of GS Chapter 163. Makes conforming and technical changes. Prohibits conducting municipal elections in the Town in 2025. Extends the terms of office of the mayor and five commissioners whose terms are set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in even-numbered years starting in 2026.

Amends SL 1971-890 to provide for even-year elections for the Town of Minnesott Beach, held at the time of the general election. Requires that the election results of the nonpartisan plurality elections for mayor and commissioners in Minnesott Beach must be determined in line with GS 163-292 (method of calculating plurality results) and conducted in line with GS Chapter 163 (currently, charter just refers to the general statutes). Specifies that municipal elections will not be held in 2025. Extends current mayoral and council member terms expiring in 2025 by one year, to 2026. Requires that regular municipal elections be conducted in the Town in even-numbered years beginning in 2026.

Requires regular municipal elections for Oriental officers be held at the time of the general election in even-numbered years. Requires elections to be determined using the nonpartisan plurality method in line with GS 163-292. Requires an election to be conducted in 2025. Requires the mayor and five commissioners elected in 2025 to serve a one-year term. Requires municipal elections to be conducted in Oriental in each even-numbered year beginning in 2026.

Amends SL 1969-385, the Charter of the Town of Stonewall, as follows. Amends Section 4 to specify that the mayor and three commissioners are elected to serve two-year terms. Requires regular municipal elections to be held at the time of the general election in even-numbered years. Requires the mayor and commissioners to be elected on a nonpartisan plurality basis and for the results to be determined under GS 163-292. Requires elections to be conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal laws of GS Chapter 163. Prohibits conducting elections in Stonewell in 2025. Extends the terms of office of the mayor and three commissioners whose terms are set to expire in 2025 by one year. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in even-numbered years starting in 2026.

Makes the following freestanding changes to the elections of municipal officers in Vandemere, notwithstanding the town’s charter. Sets the time of election as the same time as the general election each even-numbered year. Clarifies that the election results of the nonpartisan plurality elections in Vandemere must be determined in line with GS 163-292 (method of calculating plurality results) and conducted in line with GS Chapter 163. Specifies that municipal elections will not be held in 2025 in Vandemere. Extends current mayoral and commissioner terms expiring in 2025 by one year, to 2026. Requires regular municipal elections to be conducted in each even-numbered year beginning in 2026.

Part V.

Amends SL 2000-23, as amended, which is the Monroe City Charter, to require that regular municipal elections be held on a partisan basis instead of a nonpartisan basis, with elections conducted in accordance with the uniform municipal election laws of GS Chapter 163. Specifies that this does not affect the filling of vacancies occurring for city officers of Monroe for a seat elected before the effective date of this section.