| 17 | | - | "Sec. 2. Composition of board of education. 6 |
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| 18 | | - | (a) Notwithstanding Section 115-18 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, 7 |
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| 19 | | - | G.S. 115C-35, the board of education shall consist of nine members. members elected to 8 |
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| 20 | | - | staggered four-year terms. Two members shall be elected by the duly qualified voters of Gaston 9 |
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| 21 | | - | County without regard to residence in any particular township and seven from the county at-large 10 |
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| 22 | | - | and seven members shall be elected by the duly qualified voters of Gaston County from the 11 |
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| 23 | | - | following townships:from residency districts. For the seven residency district seats, no person 12 |
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| 24 | | - | shall be eligible to file for or be elected to the board of education unless the person is a qualified 13 |
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| 25 | | - | voter and resident of the residency district in which the candidate seeks to be elected. All 14 |
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| 26 | | - | members of the board of education shall be elected by the duly qualified voters of Gaston County. 15 |
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| 27 | | - | (b) The residency districts for the board of education and the number of members from 16 |
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| 28 | | - | each residency district are as follows: 17 |
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| 29 | | - | (1) Cherryville Township shall be entitled to one member. 18 |
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| 30 | | - | (2) Crowders Mountain Township shall be entitled to one member. 19 |
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| 31 | | - | (3) Dallas Township shall be entitled to one member. 20 |
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| 32 | | - | (4) Gastonia Township shall be entitled to two members. 21 |
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| 33 | | - | (5) Riverbend Township shall be entitled to one member. 22 |
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| 34 | | - | (6) Southpoint Township shall be entitled to one member." 23 |
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| 35 | | - | SECTION 2. Section 3 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws reads as rewritten: 24 |
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| 36 | | - | "Sec. 3. Elections. Notwithstanding Section 115-19 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, 25 |
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| 37 | | - | at the general election to be held in the year 1978, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 26 |
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| 38 | | - | voters of Gaston County three members of the board of education, with one member from 27 |
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| 39 | | - | Cherryville Township, one member from Crowders Mountain Township and one member at 28 |
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| 40 | | - | large. The term for these three members shall commence on the first Monday in December 1978, 29 |
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| 41 | | - | and expire at the end of two years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1980. 30 |
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| 42 | | - | At the general election to be held in the year 1980, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 31 |
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| 43 | | - | voters of Gaston County six members of the board of education, with one member from 32 |
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| 44 | | - | Cherryville Township, one member from Crowders Mountain Township, one member from 33 |
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| 45 | | - | Gastonia Township, one member from Riverbend Township, one member from Southpoint 34 |
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| 46 | | - | Township and one member at large. Those members elected from Cherryville Township, 35 |
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| 47 | | - | Crowders Mountain Township, Gastonia Township and the member elected at large shall 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 48 | | - | Page 2 House Bill 105-Second Edition |
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| 49 | | - | compose one class, whose term of office shall commence on the first Monday in December 1980, 1 |
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| 50 | | - | and expire at the end of four years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1984. The term 2 |
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| 51 | | - | of office for those members elected from Riverbend Township and Southpoint Township shall 3 |
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| 52 | | - | commence on the First Monday in December 1980, and expire at the end of two years thereafter, 4 |
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| 53 | | - | or on the first Monday in December 1982. 5 |
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| 54 | | - | At the general election to be held in the year 1982, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 6 |
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| 55 | | - | voters of Gaston County five members of the board of education, with one member from Dallas 7 |
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| 56 | | - | Township, one member from Gastonia Township, one member from Riverbend Township, one 8 |
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| 57 | | - | member from Southpoint Township and one member at large. These five members shall compose 9 |
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| 58 | | - | another class, whose terms of office shall commence on the first Monday in December 1982, and 10 |
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| 59 | | - | expire at the end of four years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1986. 11 |
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| 60 | | - | Upon the expiration of the term of office of each class of members of the board of education 12 |
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| 61 | | - | (the term class shall exclude the members elected for a term of two years) their successors shall 13 |
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| 62 | | - | be elected to hold office for four years and until their successors are elected and 14 |
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| 63 | | - | qualified.Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-37, members of the board of education shall be elected on 15 |
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| 64 | | - | a partisan basis at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year as terms expire. 16 |
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| 65 | | - | Candidates for election to the board of education shall be nominated at the same time and manner 17 |
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| 66 | | - | as other county officers. Members shall take office on the first Monday in December following 18 |
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| 67 | | - | the election. Members shall serve until a successor has been elected and qualified. 19 |
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| 68 | | - | The election of members of the board of education shall be held, conducted and supervised 20 |
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| 69 | | - | by the board of elections; and except as herein provided, the general election laws and regulations 21 |
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| 70 | | - | for the nomination and election of county officers, which are set forth in Chapter Chapters 115C 22 |
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| 71 | | - | and 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, as amended, shall apply and govern as to the 23 |
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| 72 | | - | holding of any election for members of the board of education." 24 |
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| 73 | | - | SECTION 3. Section 4 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws, as amended by 25 |
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| 74 | | - | Chapter 331 of the 1979 Session Laws and Chapter 73 of the 1993 Session Laws, is repealed. 26 |
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| 75 | | - | SECTION 4. Section 7 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws reads as rewritten: 27 |
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| 76 | | - | "Sec. 7. Vacancy. Notwithstanding Section 115-24 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, 28 |
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| 77 | | - | all All vacancies in the membership of the board of education by death, resignation, or other 29 |
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| 78 | | - | causes shall be filled by the remaining members of the board of education by the appointment of 30 |
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| 79 | | - | a person to serve until the next election of members of such board at which time the remaining 31 |
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| 80 | | - | unexpired term of the office in which the vacancy occurs shall be filled by election. In the event 32 |
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| 81 | | - | that the replacement is not selected by the board of education within a period of 90 days after the 33 |
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| 82 | | - | vacancy occurs, such vacancy shall be filled by the board of commissioners. When one who has 34 |
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| 83 | | - | been elected at large vacates his office, the successor may be selected without regard to the 35 |
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| 84 | | - | location of his residence in the county. When one who has been elected from a township vacates 36 |
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| 85 | | - | his office, the successor shall be selected from that same township.in accordance with 37 |
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| 86 | | - | G.S. 115C-37.1." 38 |
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| 87 | | - | SECTION 5. This act does not affect the term of any member elected in 2024 to the 39 |
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| 88 | | - | Gaston County Board of Education. Any vacancy on the Gaston County Board of Education for 40 |
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| 89 | | - | a member elected in 2024 shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Gaston 41 |
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| 90 | | - | County Board of Education to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. When a vacancy occurs 42 |
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| 91 | | - | in a seat elected from a residency district, the successor shall be selected from the residency 43 |
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| 92 | | - | district of the vacating member. Each member of the Gaston County Board of Education elected 44 |
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| 93 | | - | in 2024, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for a member elected in 2024, shall serve 45 |
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| 94 | | - | until a successor has been elected and qualified. 46 |
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| 95 | | - | SECTION 6. G.S. 115C-37.1(d) reads as rewritten: 47 |
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| 96 | | - | "(d) This section shall apply only to the Hickory City Board of Education and the 48 |
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| 97 | | - | Newton-Conover City Board of Education and in the following counties: Alexander, Alleghany, 49 |
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| 98 | | - | Ashe, Beaufort, Brunswick, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, 50 |
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| 99 | | - | Craven, Dare, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Harnett, Henderson, Hyde, Iredell, Lee, Lincoln, 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 100 | | - | House Bill 105-Second Edition Page 3 |
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| 101 | | - | Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Polk, Rowan, 1 |
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| 102 | | - | Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Vance, Washington, and Yancey." 2 |
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| 103 | | - | SECTION 7. This act becomes effective the first Monday in December of 2026, and 3 |
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| 104 | | - | elections in 2026 shall be conducted accordingly. 4 |
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| 19 | + | "Sec. 2. Composition of board of education. Notwithstanding Section 115-18 of the General 6 |
|---|
| 20 | + | Statutes of North Carolina, G.S. 115C-35, the board of education shall consist of nine members. 7 |
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| 21 | + | Two members shall be elected by the duly qualified voters of Gaston County without regard to 8 |
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| 22 | + | residence in any particular township and seven district. Seven members shall be elected by the 9 |
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| 23 | + | duly qualified voters of Gaston County from the following townships:residency districts. All 10 |
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| 24 | + | candidates shall be voted on by all eligible voters in the county. Members shall be elected from 11 |
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| 25 | + | districts as follows: 12 |
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| 26 | + | (1) Cherryville Township shall be entitled to one member. 13 |
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| 27 | + | (2) Crowders Mountain Township shall be entitled to one member. 14 |
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| 28 | + | (3) Dallas Township shall be entitled to one member. 15 |
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| 29 | + | (4) Gastonia Township shall be entitled to two members. 16 |
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| 30 | + | (5) Riverbend Township shall be entitled to one member. 17 |
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| 31 | + | (6) Southpoint Township shall be entitled to one member." 18 |
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| 32 | + | SECTION 2. Section 3 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws reads as rewritten: 19 |
|---|
| 33 | + | "Sec. 3. Elections. Notwithstanding Section 115-19 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, 20 |
|---|
| 34 | + | at the general election to be held in the year 1978, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 21 |
|---|
| 35 | + | voters of Gaston County three members of the board of education, with one member from 22 |
|---|
| 36 | + | Cherryville Township, one member from Crowders Mountain Township and one member at 23 |
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| 37 | + | large. The term for these three members shall commence on the first Monday in December 1978, 24 |
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| 38 | + | and expire at the end of two years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1980. 25 |
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| 39 | + | At the general election to be held in the year 1980, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 26 |
|---|
| 40 | + | voters of Gaston County six members of the board of education, with one member from 27 |
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| 41 | + | Cherryville Township, one member from Crowders Mountain Township, one member from 28 |
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| 42 | + | Gastonia Township, one member from Riverbend Township, one member from Southpoint 29 |
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| 43 | + | Township and one member at large. Those members elected from Cherryville Township, 30 |
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| 44 | + | Crowders Mountain Township, Gastonia Township and the member elected at large shall 31 |
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| 45 | + | compose one class, whose term of office shall commence on the first Monday in December 1980, 32 |
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| 46 | + | and expire at the end of four years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1984. The term 33 |
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| 47 | + | of office for those members elected from Riverbend Township and Southpoint Township shall 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 48 | + | Page 2 House Bill 105-First Edition |
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| 49 | + | commence on the First Monday in December 1980, and expire at the end of two years thereafter, 1 |
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| 50 | + | or on the first Monday in December 1982. 2 |
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| 51 | + | At the general election to be held in the year 1982, there shall be elected by the duly qualified 3 |
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| 52 | + | voters of Gaston County five members of the board of education, with one member from Dallas 4 |
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| 53 | + | Township, one member from Gastonia Township, one member from Riverbend Township, one 5 |
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| 54 | + | member from Southpoint Township and one member at large. These five members shall compose 6 |
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| 55 | + | another class, whose terms of office shall commence on the first Monday in December 1982, and 7 |
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| 56 | + | expire at the end of four years thereafter, or on the first Monday in December 1986. 8 |
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| 57 | + | Upon the expiration of the term of office of each class of members of the board of education 9 |
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| 58 | + | (the term class shall exclude the members elected for a term of two years) their successors shall 10 |
|---|
| 59 | + | be elected to hold office for four years and until their successors are elected and 11 |
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| 60 | + | qualified.Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-37, the board of education shall be elected on a partisan 12 |
|---|
| 61 | + | basis at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year as terms expire. Members 13 |
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| 62 | + | shall be elected for four-year terms. Candidates for election to the board of education shall be 14 |
|---|
| 63 | + | nominated at the same time and manner as other county officers. Members shall take office on 15 |
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| 64 | + | the first Monday in December of the year of election, and the terms of their predecessors shall 16 |
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| 65 | + | expire at that same time. Members shall serve until a successor has been elected and qualified. 17 |
|---|
| 66 | + | The election of members of the board of education shall be held, conducted and supervised 18 |
|---|
| 67 | + | by the board of elections; and except as herein provided, the general election laws and regulations 19 |
|---|
| 68 | + | for the nomination and election of county officers, which are set forth in Chapter Chapters 115C 20 |
|---|
| 69 | + | and 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, as amended, shall apply and govern as to the 21 |
|---|
| 70 | + | holding of any election for members of the board of education." 22 |
|---|
| 71 | + | SECTION 3. Section 4 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws, as amended by 23 |
|---|
| 72 | + | Chapter 331 of the 1979 Session Laws, as amended by Chapter 73 of the 1993 Session Laws, 24 |
|---|
| 73 | + | reads as rewritten: 25 |
|---|
| 74 | + | "Sec. 4. Ballot; notice of candidacy and residence requirements. The names of the candidates 26 |
|---|
| 75 | + | shall be placed on a separate ballot bearing no party designation, and no party affiliation need be 27 |
|---|
| 76 | + | indicated at the time of filing. Each candidate shall file a notice of candidacy with the board of 28 |
|---|
| 77 | + | elections indicating whether he the candidate is running as a member at large or from a particular 29 |
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| 78 | + | township at any time after 12:00 noon on the Friday preceding the eighteenth Saturday and before 30 |
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| 79 | + | 12:00 noon on the Friday preceding the fourteenth Saturday before the general election. A 31 |
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| 80 | + | candidate seeking to represent a particular township shall be a resident and qualified voter of said 32 |
|---|
| 81 | + | township.district at a time consistent with deadlines for other county officers. For the district 33 |
|---|
| 82 | + | seats, no person shall be eligible to file for, be elected to, or serve on the board of education 34 |
|---|
| 83 | + | unless the person is a qualified voter and resident of the district in which the person seeks to be 35 |
|---|
| 84 | + | elected." 36 |
|---|
| 85 | + | SECTION 4.(a) Section 7 of Chapter 633 of the 1977 Session Laws reads as 37 |
|---|
| 86 | + | rewritten: 38 |
|---|
| 87 | + | "Sec. 7. Vacancy. Notwithstanding Section 115-24 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, 39 |
|---|
| 88 | + | all All vacancies in the membership of the board of education by death, resignation, or other 40 |
|---|
| 89 | + | causes shall be filled by the remaining members of the board of education by the appointment of 41 |
|---|
| 90 | + | a person to serve until the next election of members of such board at which time the remaining 42 |
|---|
| 91 | + | unexpired term of the office in which the vacancy occurs shall be filled by election. In the event 43 |
|---|
| 92 | + | that the replacement is not selected by the board of education within a period of 90 days after the 44 |
|---|
| 93 | + | vacancy occurs, such vacancy shall be filled by the board of commissioners. When one who has 45 |
|---|
| 94 | + | been elected at large vacates his office, the successor may be selected without regard to the 46 |
|---|
| 95 | + | location of his residence in the county. When one who has been elected from a township vacates 47 |
|---|
| 96 | + | his office, the successor shall be selected from that same township.in accordance with 48 |
|---|
| 97 | + | G.S. 115C-37.1. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy for a district seat shall reside in the 49 |
|---|
| 98 | + | district in which the vacating member was elected to serve." 50 |
|---|
| 99 | + | SECTION 4.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2026. 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 100 | + | House Bill 105-First Edition Page 3 |
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| 101 | + | SECTION 5. This act does not affect the term of any person elected in 2022 or 2024 1 |
|---|
| 102 | + | to the Gaston County Board of Education. Each member of the Gaston County Board of 2 |
|---|
| 103 | + | Education elected in 2022 or 2024, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for a member 3 |
|---|
| 104 | + | elected in 2022 or 2024, shall serve until a successor has been elected and qualified. 4 |
|---|
| 105 | + | SECTION 6.(a) G.S. 115C-37.1(d) reads as rewritten: 5 |
|---|
| 106 | + | "(d) This section shall apply only to the Hickory City Board of Education and the 6 |
|---|
| 107 | + | Newton-Conover City Board of Education and in the following counties: Alleghany, Ashe, 7 |
|---|
| 108 | + | Beaufort, Brunswick, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Craven, 8 |
|---|
| 109 | + | Dare, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Harnett, Henderson, Hyde, Iredell, Lee, Lincoln, 9 |
|---|
| 110 | + | Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Polk, Rutherford, 10 |
|---|
| 111 | + | Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Vance, Washington, and Yancey." 11 |
|---|
| 112 | + | SECTION 6.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2026. 12 |
|---|
| 113 | + | SECTION 7. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law 13 |
|---|
| 114 | + | and applies to elections held on or after that date. 14 |
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