Orange County NC Website
85 <br />2. The election method should be changed to either combination of district /at -large <br />system or cumulative voting which is a proportional election method, <br />a. District /At -large System - If the size of the Board of Commissioners is <br />increased to seven members, under this system, the Board would be <br />elected at large, however, the county would be divided into five residential <br />districts. Five candidates must meet residence requirements. The remaining <br />two members would be elected at large with no residence requirement. An <br />illustration of possible County residential districts is included as Attachment <br />III. <br />This system would require candidates to be nominated within the district <br />with voting to take place in the district in the primary election and the <br />primary winners would be placed on the ballot for the general election, All <br />County residents would be eligible to vote for the district winners as well as <br />the at -large candidates. <br />This system can be adopted by a majority vote of the Board of <br />Commissioners, <br />b, Proportional Election Method - Cumulative voting: Under this system, voters <br />would be allowed to cast as many votes as there were open seats on the <br />board. For example, if the present Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />was elected by cumulative voting, each voter would get five votes that he <br />or she could cast among the candidates in any fashion. One vote could be <br />cast for each of the candidates, or five votes for one candidate or any other <br />possible combination. <br />In order to utilize this system, Orange County must petition its legislative <br />delegation for introduction and passage of a local bill seeking permission <br />to adopt this system. <br />5 <br />