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9 <br />Attachment C is a map showing the current electoral districts along with the population <br />numbers based on the 2010 census. In the 2006 adopted plan (Attachments A and B), Orange <br />County met its goal of keeping the population deviations within five percent of the exact <br />population totals for each district, less than a total of ten percent deviation (referred to nationally <br />as the Ten Percent Rule). Attachment C shows that Districts 1 and 2 were still within the Ten <br />Percent Rule deviation criteria based on the 2010 Census data. Since the Districts were, <br />combined, within the ten percent deviation allowed by law, there can be no finding of substantial <br />inequality. <br />Attachment D is the resolution adopted by the Board on June 2011 acknowledging there is no <br />substantial inequality revealed by the 2010 census results. <br />In recent months members of the Board of Commissioners have expressed an interest in <br />discussing and possibly amending the current election method for seats on the Board of <br />Commissioners. Several related issues have been voiced regarding potentially amending the <br />method. Staff has addressed some of those topics below. <br />If the Board chose to move forward with proposing an amendment to the current election <br />method, when could voter referendum occur? <br />• The North Carolina General Statutes require that counties schedule special voter <br />referenda only in even years when all the voting precincts in the County will be open. <br />Therefore, a special voter referendum on the election method cannot occur in 2017 with <br />the possible exception of a legislative act authorizing the referendum in 2017. Without <br />legislative intervention the next potential dates for a special referendum are May 2018 or <br />November 2018 when a countywide election with all precincts open is already scheduled. <br />Do other North Carolina counties use an election method similar to Orange County's <br />current method? <br />• Attachment E is a chart from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners <br />(NCACC) which details the current election method for all 100 North Carolina counties. <br />The chart initially indicates that Currituck, Pamlico, and Pasquotank counties share the <br />same election method as Orange County. However, further investigation by County staff <br />confirms that while all four counties have seven (7) Commissioner seats and all four <br />counties have Commissioner seats representing districts, there are variations in the <br />election methods for the district seats that differentiate the counties. <br />Orange County's current election method entails five district seats on the Board that are <br />filled based on district residency and district nomination during the primary election, <br />followed by countywide election in the general election. Conversely, Currituck County's <br />five Commissioner seats representing five districts are for residency purposes only. <br />Candidates for district seats in Currituck must reside in their respective districts, but they <br />are nominated /voted on in the primary and elected during the general election by all <br />voters in all precincts in Currituck County. Currituck County's two at large seats are filled <br />based on countywide nomination and countywide election. <br />An additional variation applies in Pamlico County. The five district Commissioner seats <br />representing five districts for the Pamlico County Board of Commissioners are for <br />residency, nomination, and election. Candidates for district seats must reside in their <br />respective districts, are voted on /nominated during the primary by only the voters in their <br />