H294 - Partisan Elections Act Summary

• Requires all elections in North Carolina to be conducted on a partisan basis, including county boards of education, city boards of education, sanitary districts, soil and water conservation districts, and municipal elections.

• Converts county and city board of education elections from nonpartisan to partisan elections, with party nominations and primary elections to be conducted according to partisan election procedures.

• Converts sanitary district and soil and water conservation district elections from nonpartisan to partisan elections held during regular county officer election cycles.

• Mandates that all municipal elections be held on a partisan basis, with local acts that previously provided for nonpartisan elections repealed and superseded by partisan election requirements.

• Takes effect January 1, 2020, with any local acts requiring elections in odd-numbered years transitioning to partisan elections beginning in 2021; does not affect vacancies for seats elected prior to the effective date.