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V <br />Information on the <br />District Election Referendum for the <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />In 1954 the Orange County Board of Commissioners was expanded from three members <br />to five members. Prior to and since that time, Commissioners have been elected "at <br />large," which means ali registered Orange County voters could select from all candidates. <br />On November 7, 2006, the people of Orange County will decide if there will be changes <br />in the way in which the Board of Commissioners is constituted and elected. <br />A referendum proposes to increase the Board from five to seven members. This same <br />referendum splits Orange County into two voting districts. <br />District 1 would consist of the southern two-thirds of Chapel Hill Township. The divider <br />line generally runs along I-40 east of Hwy 86 and the Chapel Hill - Carrboro School <br />District boundary west of Hwy 86. (A detailed description of the boundary is contained <br />in the wording of the referendum.) <br />District 2 would be the remainder of Orange County. <br />Three Board members would reside in District 1, two members would reside in District 2, <br />and two members would be elected At-Large and may live anywhere in,Orange County. <br />In the Primary Election, only residents of a District may vote for the Commissioner <br />candidate or candidates of their political party who reside in that District and seek to. <br />represent that District. <br />All eligible voters in Orange County may vote in the Primary for At-Large candidates of <br />their political party. <br />For the General Election, all Orange County voters can vote for the candidate(s) to <br />represent District 1, District 2, and At-Large. <br />Commissioners would continue to serve four-year terms staggered with approximately <br />one-half of the Board members elected every two years. <br />For additional information contact Donna Baker, the Clerk to the Orange County Board <br />of Commissioners (919) 245-2130. <br />This is a simplified description. <br />The detailed referendum, as it will appear on the ballot on November 7, 2006, can be <br />viewed on the Orange County Elections website. See "Sample Ballots ". <br />http:/%www. co. orange. nc. us/elect/index. htm <br />