Agenda - 10-05-2021; 6-a - Presentation of Final Report from the BOCC Elections Advisory Group (BEAG)

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96 Table 2. North Carolina Counties Subject to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act Anson Edgecombe Hoke Person Beaufort Franklin Jackson Pitt Bertie Gaston Lee Robeson Bladen Gates Lenoir Rockingham Camden Granville Martin Scotland Caswell Greene Nash Union Chowan Guilford Northampton Vance Cleveland Halifax Onslow Washington Craven Harnett Pasquotank Wayne Cumberland Hertford Perquimans Wilson Below,college students register voters Note:All cities and school systems within these counties also are subject to the pre- during a campus drive.Redistricting clearance requirement. will not require already-registered voters to re-register. Are you covered by the Voting Rights Act? Yes, you are covered by the Voting Rights Act,along with every other part of the United States,but that answer is a little misleading. Frequently when peo- ple say, "We are covered by the Voting F Rights Act," or "We are a Voting Rights Act county,"they are using shorthand to mean that their jurisdiction is covered by a particular part of the act known as Section 5.32 Section 5 applies only to cer- tain governmental units that had espe- cially low voter-registration rates when the Voting Rights Act was passed. In effect,those jurisdictions were presumed a m to have been discriminating.Most South- k ern states are entirely under Section 5, but only forty North Carolina counties are subject to it. To prevent the introduction of new Z election procedures that adversely affect counties,including cities and school sys- change makes it less likely that African- minority voting,governmental units sub- tems.) Examples include a switch to or Americans or other minorities will be able ject to Section 5 must obtain approval from an at-large election system, any to elect candidates of their choice. This from the U.S.Department of justice be- change in the term of office for an elected standard is known as "retrogression.1114 fore making any change in election pro- position,municipal annexations,moving The question, in effect, is whether the cedures.The approval procedure is com- of polling places or precinct lines, new change makes things worse for minori- monly referred to as "preclearance."33 office hours for the board of elections, ties. The department objects to few conversion from paper ballots to voting changes,but it is most likely to challenge In a Section 5 county,do you have to machines, and, of course, redistricting. certain kinds of changes, including submit your redistricting plan for Because any statewide election law or annexations, changes in the method of preclearance? procedure change obviously affects those election (from district to at-large elec- Yes.Any change in election procedures in forty counties, all such changes must tions,for example),and alterations in dis- any of those forty counties must be pre- be precleared before they can become trict lines.An objection from the depart- cleared. (For the identities of the coun- effective. ment may be the start of negotiations ties,see Table 2.The requirement applies The justice Department reviews each between the governmental unit and feder- to all governmental units within these such change to determine whether the al officials to alter the proposed change to IO POPULAR GOVERNMENT SPRING 200I