S.L. 1969-1051

1969 SESSION

CHAPTER 1051

HOUSE BILL 1331

AN ACT PERTAINING TO THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS RESIDING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY OF ROCKY MOUNT.

WHEREAS, the City of Rocky Mount is located in both Nash and Edgecombe Counties; and

WHEREAS, registration and voting for county and State elections in the City of Rocky Mount are held under the supervision and authority of the Nash and Edgecombe County Boards of Election respectively, and voting for municipal elections in the City of Rocky Mount is held under the supervision and authority of the Rocky Mount Municipal Board of Elections; and

WHEREAS, it is also deemed desirable for all registration in the City of Rocky Mount to be held under the supervision of the Nash and Edgecombe Boards of Election; and

WHEREAS, all three Boards of Election have adopted a full-time and permanent loose-leaf registration system; and

WHEREAS, for the convenience of the voters in both counties residing within the City of Rocky Mount, it is desirable for there to be a single place of registration, and for the county voting precincts to be the same as the City voting precincts within the City of Rocky Mount;

NOW, THEREFORE,

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

Section 1. A permanent, full-time registration office shall be established at a convenient place within the City of Rocky Mount, either in Nash or Edgecombe County, which shall be a branch of the full-time and permanent registration office of both counties. The location shall be determined by the three Boards of Election. Such office shall be deemed to be located in both counties for the purpose of complying with all provisions of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes of North Carolina respecting elections and election laws. Special Registration Commissioners appointed either by the Nash County Board of Elections or by the Edgecombe County Board of Elections shall be in charge of said office, and shall have the power and authority to register any Rocky Mount citizen irrespective of whether such citizen resides in Nash or Edgecombe County, provided said registrant is otherwise qualified by law to register. The position of permanent, full-time Registrar provided for the City of Rocky Mount in Section 431 of Chapter 938 of the 1963 Session Laws is hereby abolished; and the duties and authority assigned by said Chapter to said Registrar are hereby assigned to said Special Registration Commissioners.

Sec. 2. The Nash County Board of Elections and the Rocky Mount Municipal Board of Elections shall from time to time divide that portion of the City of Rocky Mount lying in Nash County into precincts which shall be the same for all elections; and the Edgecombe County Board of Elections and the Rocky Mount Municipal Board of Elections shall do the same for that portion of the City of Rocky Mount in Edgecombe County. In the event the City Limits of Rocky Mount are extended, the annexed areas shall become parts of those voting precincts within the City of Rocky Mount as the Nash County Board of Elections and the Rocky Mount Municipal Board of Elections shall determine for those portions of Nash County annexed to the City of Rocky Mount, and as the Edgecombe County Board of Elections and the Rocky Mount Municipal Board of Elections shall determine for those portions of Edgecombe County annexed to the City of Rocky Mount. Prior to the effective date of such annexation, the City Clerk of the City of Rocky Mount shall provide the affected county Boards of Election with a map showing the exact areas of such annexation. As soon thereafter as the annexed areas are assigned to voting precincts within the City of Rocky Mount, as provided above, the respective county Board of Elections shall transfer the registration cards of each voter residing in the newly annexed areas from the registration books of the old precinct in which the newly annexed area was previously located to the registration books of the appropriate voting precinct within the City of Rocky Mount. Each registered voter of the newly annexed area shall be notified by letter of the change in his voting precinct and polling place.

Sec. 3. The cost of maintaining and operating the permanent voter registration office, and of the salaries of the Special Registration Commissioners shall be according to a budget approved by the three Boards of Election and the governing boards of the City and the two counties.

Sec. 4. Whenever any action or matter herein is to be determined by any two or more of the three Boards of Election, the same shall be determined by the unanimous decision of the affected Boards of Election, the decision of each separate Board of Election on the matter to be determined in the manner provided by law.

Sec. 5. (a) Chapter 542 of the 1965 Session Laws is hereby repealed.

(b) Subsection 10(a) of Section 431 of Chapter 938 of the 1963 Session Laws is hereby repealed.

(d) The Act shall be effective from and after July 1, 1969.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 26th day of June, 1969.