NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1963 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 5

SENATE BILL 20

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 163 OF THE GENERAL STATUTES RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF ELECTIONS IN MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS APPLICABLE ONLY TO DAVIDSON COUNTY AND THE CITY OF LEXINGTON AND TO AMEND CHAPTER 5 OF PUBLIC-LOCAL LAWS, 1941, SECTIONS 11, 13, 14 AND 15, SO AS TO PROVIDE THE ELECTION OFFICIALS FOR THE CITY OF LEXINGTON BY THE DAVIDSON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS, THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CITY OF LEXINGTON AND DAVIDSON COUNTY ELECTION BOOKS, AND THE CREATING OF A CENTRAL REGISTRATION SYSTEM, JOINT PRECINCTS AND POLLING PLACES, USING THE SAME REGISTRATION BOOKS FOR THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF LEXINGTON AND DAVIDSON COUNTY.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1. That Sections 11, 13, 14 and 15, Chapter 5, Public-Local Laws of 1941, the same being an Act to codify and amend the Charter of the City of Lexington, as amended, relating to elections, is further amended by striking out said Sections and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

"(a)     The registrars and judges within the corporate limits of the City of Lexington shall be appointed by the Davidson County Board of Elections in each precinct.

"(b)     The registration books and election records of the City of Lexington shall be consolidated and combined with the registration books and election records of Davidson County Board of Elections so that there shall be only one registration book for each precinct within the City of Lexington."

Sec. 2. (a) The Davidson County Board of Elections having already established a full-time and permanent registration system with the precincts located in the City of Lexington coterminous with the corporate boundaries of the City of Lexington, such registration system shall be a permanent public record of registration and qualification to vote in any general, special, primary or other election held for the City of Lexington, and to that end those registered voters on the Davidson County registration books living in the corporate limits of the City of Lexington shall be entitled to vote in any and all elections held for municipal purposes.

(b)       Those who register or change registration in ensuing City or County elections, whether it be in the primary or general election or special elections, shall designate party affiliation in like manner as in general elections, and shall be entitled to vote either in all City elections or all County, primary or general elections hereafter held.

(c)       During elections for the City of Lexington, the Davidson County Board of Elections shall retain custody of all books and shall handle all election machinery where registration books are concerned.

Sec. 3. The expense of conducting all municipal elections shall be paid for by the City of Lexington.

Sec. 4. The registrars, judges, clerks and special election clerks shall be compensated for their services in such amounts as may be fixed in the discretion of the Davidson County Board of Elections, or with the approval of the City Council of the City of Lexington and the Davidson County Board of Commissioners.

Sec. 5. The Davidson County Board of Elections, together with the registrars and the special registration clerks appointed by it, shall be the only authority authorized to register electors in Davidson County, including those within the City of Lexington, and the registration or transfer of registration of electors pursuant to such authority shall be the sole official registration for municipal elections held in the City of Lexington, and in the event a special registration of electors is required for any special tax assessment, bond election, or for any other purpose in accordance with the General Statutes of North Carolina, such registration of voters shall likewise be conducted by the registrars or special registration clerks, as herein provided.

Sec. 6. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict herewith, including all conflicting provisions of Chapter 160 and Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, and Chapter 5 of the Public-Local Laws of 1941, as amended, are hereby repealed and shall not apply to municipal elections of any kind whatsoever held in the City of Lexington, and wherever said General Statutes and/or said Private Laws and this Act conflict, this Act shall control.

Sec. 7. If any part of this Act, or the application of any part thereof, to any person or condition is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other parts of this Act or the application to any other person or condition, and to this end the provisions of this Act are declared to be separable.

Sec. 8. This Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 28th day of February, 1963.