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4 <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> At its Business meeting on April 7, 2020, the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners received a petition requesting the Board to analyze the current <br /> method of electing county commissioners and to potentially change that method. <br /> The Board subsequently voted to establish a committee to study the issue. <br /> Discussion of the makeup of this committee centered around ways to make sure <br /> such a committee represented a variety of stakeholders (such as election officials, <br /> non-profit groups and other experts) and that represented the diversity of Orange <br /> County voters (geographically and demographically). <br /> Beginning in October 2020, the BOCC began taking applications from Orange <br /> County residents who were interested in serving on the committee. <br /> Announcements about the application process were made at the BOCC meeting <br /> that month, as well as on the Orange County website and WCHL radio. The <br /> County received a total of 23 applications from interested individuals. <br /> On February 2, 2021, the BOCC appointed 15 individuals to the committee, nine <br /> members from District 1 and six members from District 2. The group was named <br /> the BOCC Elections Advisory Group (BEAG). The BOCC instructed the BEAG to <br /> elect two co-chairs from its membership — one from District 1 and one from <br /> District 2. <br /> CURRENT VOTING METHOD <br /> Currently Orange County elects seven (7) commissioners. Two commissioners are <br /> elected at-large, meaning candidates must reside somewhere in Orange County, <br /> and voters from the entire county vote on these candidates in both primaries and <br /> general elections. There are two multi-member districts. District 1 encompasses <br /> the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area and has three seats. District 2 includes the rest <br /> of Orange County and has two seats. Candidates for these seats must reside in the <br /> district in which they are running. In primaries, voters living in District One vote <br /> only on District One candidates, and voters from District Two vote only on District <br /> Two candidates. In general elections, voters from the whole county can vote in <br /> both District One and District Two races. <br /> CHARGE GIVEN <br /> To review, research, and evaluate the current method of electing commissioners, as <br /> well as any alternative electoral methods or models, including but not limited to <br /> 3 <br />