AN ACT to provide for partisan elections for members of the mcdowell county board of education.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Section 1 of Chapter 322 of the 1987 Session Laws, as rewritten by Chapter 107 of the 1995 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:

Section 1.  Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 115C‑37, beginning with elections held in 2024, the McDowell County Board of Education shall be elected on a nonpartisan basis at the time set by G.S. 163-1 for the general election in 1996 and biennially thereafter. The names of the candidates shall be printed on the ballot without reference to any party affiliations. The nonpartisan plurality election method shall be used with the results determined as provided in G.S. 163-292.partisan basis as terms expire. Vacancies on the McDowell County Board of Education for positions elected on a nonpartisan basis in 2020 and 2022 shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Board, in accordance with the PLAN FOR MERGER OF MARION CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND MCDOWELL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION and Section 3 of S.L. 2019‑234. Beginning in 2024, vacancies on the McDowell County Board of Education for positions elected on a partisan basis shall be filled by appointment by the remaining members of the Board, in accordance with G.S. 115C‑37.1, for the remainder of the unexpired term.

SECTION 1.(b)  This act does not affect the terms of office of any member elected in 2020 or 2022 to the McDowell County Board of Education. The members of the McDowell County Board of Education elected in 2020 or 2022, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for the remainder of an unexpired term for a member elected in 2020 or 2022, shall serve until a successor has been elected and qualified.

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑37.1(d) reads as rewritten:

(d)      This section shall apply only in the following counties: Alleghany, Beaufort, Brunswick, Burke, Caldwell, Carteret, Cherokee, Clay, Craven, Dare, Davie, Graham, Guilford, Harnett, Hyde, Iredell, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, McDowell, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Vance, Washington, and Yancey.

SECTION 2.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2024.

SECTION 3.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.