Raleigh, NC — This morning, August 9, a judge overseeing the Wake County redistricting case ordered a series of actions to resolve the unconstitutional redistricting for the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the Wake County School Board.
The following is the list of actions to correct the situation, as ordered by the judge.
County Board of Commissioners:
- March Primaries held in District A and B are void as these districts are unconstitutional.
- Candidates from residency districts 4, 5, and 6 will run at large as previously scheduled.
- Candidates elected will serve 2 year terms.
School Board:
- Wake County Board of Elections must use 2011 districts.
- All 9 single-member districts will be elected in November 2016 by plurality.
- Candidates elected will serve 2 year terms.
- There will be no run off elections.
- These districts are only to be used for the 2016 elections.
The judge also stated his expectations that the General Assembly will create a system to resolve the unconstitutional districts upon reconvening in January 2017.
“This is a victory for basic fairness. It is not the American way to change the rules in the middle of the game because you are losing. That is what the General Assembly did when they passed these unconstitutional districts,” said Dr. Earl C. Johnson, plaintiff and former president of the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association.
For the link to the official order, click here.
######
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a legal nonprofit engaged in voting rights advocacy, partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the South to defend and advance their political, social and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing and communications. The organization was founded in 2007 in Durham, North Carolina.