§ 115C-507.  Rules governing elections.

All elections under this Chapter shall be held and conducted by the appropriate county board of elections.

If the purpose of the election is to enlarge a city administrative unit, the notice of election shall include the following: a statement of the purpose of the election; a legal description of the area within which the election is to be held; and a statement that if a majority of those who shall vote in the area proposed to be consolidated with the city administrative unit shall vote in favor of such enlargement such area shall be consolidated with the city administrative unit, effective July 1 next following such election, and there shall thereafter be levied in such area so consolidated with the city administrative unit the same school taxes as shall be levied in the other portions of the city administrative unit, including any tax levy to provide for the payment of school bonds theretofore issued by or for such city administrative unit or for all or some part of the school area annexed to such city administrative unit, unless payment of such bonds has otherwise been provided for.

The notice of the election shall be given as provided in G.S. 163-33(8) and in addition include a legal description of the area within which the election is to be held, and, if any additional tax is proposed to be levied, the maximum rate of tax to be levied which shall not exceed the maximum prescribed by this Article, and the purpose of the tax.

No new registration of voters is required, but the board of elections, in its discretion, may use either Method A or Method B set forth in G.S. 163-288.2 in activating the voters in the territory.

The ballot in such election shall contain the words "FOR local tax and AGAINST local tax" except when the election is held under subsection (c) of G.S. 115C-501, in which case the ballots shall contain the words "FOR enlargement of the ____ City Administrative Unit and school tax of the same rate," and "AGAINST enlargement of the ____ City Administrative Unit and school tax of the same rate."

The elections shall be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 163 and the expense of the election shall be paid by the board of education of the administrative unit in which the election is held, provided that when territory is proposed to be added to a city administrative unit, that unit shall bear the expense.

No election held under this Article shall be open to question except in an action or proceeding commenced within 30 days after the board of elections has certified the results. (1955, c. 1372, art. 14, s. 7; 1957, c. 1271, ss. 6, 7; 1981, c. 423, s. 1; 2011-31, s. 11; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)