Senate committee substitute to the 2nd edition adds the following content and makes conforming changes to the act’s titles.

Section 2

Requires two members of the Asheboro City Board of Education to be elected in 2025 on a nonpartisan plurality basis with the results determined according to GS 163-292 (determination of election results in cities using the plurality method) to serve a one-year term.

Specifies that this section does not affect the term of office of any member elected in 2025 to the Asheboro City Board of Education; requires any vacancy for a member elected in 2025 to be filled by appointment of the remaining members of the Asheboro City Board of Education to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Requires each member of the Asheboro City Board of Education elected in 2025, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for a member elected in 2025, to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified.

Amends Section 2 of SL 1957-35, as amended, by decreasing the membership of the Asheboro City Board of Education from 11 to seven members and requires that they be elected to staggered four-year terms instead of to six-year terms. Requires that they be elected at the time of the general election in each even-numbered year as terms expire, with candidates nominated at the same time and manner as county officers. Requires elections to be held and conducted under the applicable provisions of GS Chapters 115C and 163. Requires any vacancy to be filled in accordance with GS 115C-37.1 (vacancies in offices of county boards elected on partisan basis in certain counties) and makes conforming changes to GS 115C-37.1.

Repeals the following sections of SL 1957-35, as amended: Section 1 (concerning the composition of the Asheboro City Board of Education), Section 3  (specifying members of the Asheboro City Board of Education and the election of their successors), Section 4 (concerning elections), Section 5 (concerning notice of special elections), Section 6 (concerning the conduction of elections), and Section 7 (concerning terms of office).

Extends the terms of office for the four members serving on the effective date of this section whose terms of office are set to expire in 2027 by one year, and the terms of office for the three members serving on the effective date of this section whose terms are set to expire in 2029 by one year. Sets out provisions to stagger the terms.

Requires the Asheboro City Council, between the date of the 2028 general election and the first Monday in December 2028 to appoint a registered voter who resides in the Asheboro City Board of Education School Administrative Unit district to serve on the Asheboro City Board of Education to vote only in the case of a tie; this person’s term expires the first Monday in December 2030.

Specifies that this does not affect the term of office of any member elected in 2021 or 2023 to the Asheboro City Board of Education and requires any vacancies in those positions to be filled by appointment of the remaining Board members to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Requires each member of the Asheboro City Board of Education elected in 2021 or 2023, or any member appointed to fill a vacancy for one of those members, to serve until a successor has been elected and qualified.

Effective the first Monday in December of 2026, and requires elections in 2026 and thereafter to be conducted accordingly.

Section 3

Specifies that the Anson County Board of Commissioners consists of seven members elected from seven single-member residency districts with one member elected from each residency district. Requires a person to be a qualified voter and resident of the district in which the candidates seeks to be elected to the Anson County Board of Commissioners. Requires all candidates for election to be voted on by all eligible voters in the county. Provides that members take office and qualify on the first Monday in December of the year of election, and the terms of their predecessors expire at that same time.

Requires, until revised in accordance with GS 153A-22.1, the residency districts required by this section to be the districts used in the 2022 elections for the Anson County Board of Commissioners. Makes conforming changes to GS 153A-22.1 (redefining residency district boundaries).

Effective the first Monday in December 2026, and elections in 2026 and thereafter must be conducted accordingly.

Section 4

Amends GS 153A-27.1 (vacancies on board of commissioners in certain counties) by adding Caswell County to the scope of the statute.