Most local elections will proceed

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Jun. 16—TRIAD — The vast majority of area cities and towns are set to have local elections this fall despite a delay with census results that will push some municipalities to hold votes next year so they can redraw districts.

The cities of Greensboro and Lexington are the only two municipalities in the Piedmont that would have their local elections pushed to March 2022 to give them time to review new census population data and redraw local districts. More than 30 cities and towns would have their local elections put off until March 8 under a bill that passed the N.C. General Assembly Monday night.

Among the area cities and towns set to have general elections Nov. 2 are Thomasville, Wallburg, Jamestown, Midway and Trinity.

Candidates in Trinity file for office based on their residency in wards. But because they are elected at-large by all city residents, the Trinity election won't be delayed because of the census reapportionment issue.

High Point won't hold elections this year because the city is now on a schedule in which candidates are elected every four years, meaning the next elections won't take place until the fall of 2023.

Archdale won't hold city elections until 2022 because they are one of the few municipalities in North Carolina that regularly stage their local elections in even-numbered years.

This fall marks a transition election for Thomasville, where voters have selected the mayor and all seven councilmembers every two years for nearly 20 years.

With this fall's election, Thomasville will begin the switch to staggered four-year terms for councilmembers and a four-year term for mayor.

The four candidates for council with the largest vote totals in this fall's election will capture four-year terms. The other three winning candidates would serve two-year terms until the next election cycle, when those seats would become four-year terms for the winners in November 2023.

All area elections are nonpartisan, meaning the party affiliation of the candidates doesn't appear on the ballot.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul