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STEELE CREEK NEWS
Redistricting for 2022 Elections is Proceeding for Multiple
Jurisdictions
Key Date: October 5. Charlotte City
Council and Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners both have
public meetings to discuss redistricting plans
(October
5, 2021) State and local officials are currently reviewing 2020
Census population counts for various representative districts to
update the boundaries and ensure that they have approximately equal
populations (within 5% of the optimum population for all districts
except U.S. Congressional Districts). New boundaries must be completed and provided to the
Board of Elections by November 17 in order for them to prepare for
candidate filing and other 2022 Election steps.
2021 Elections Delayed
The Census
Bureau was unable to provide census counts for small area geography
by April 1, 2021 as originally scheduled due to delays related to
COVID. The census countss were released on August 12. Therefore, Charlotte City Council and Charlotte-Mecklenburg
School district boundaries could not be redistricted in time for
July 2021 candidate filing. As a result, elections for Charlotte
Mayor and City Council and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School
Board district representatives were delayed until 2022.
The six towns in Mecklenburg County elect representatives at large and do not need to update districts. Their elections will follow the normal 2021 schedule.
Charlotte City Council
Charlotte residents will elect a mayor, 4 at-large City Council
members, and 7 district City Council members in 2022. The election
schedule:
- Monday, December 6 to Friday, December 17, 2021 - Candidate filing
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - Primary Election
- Tuesday, April 26 or May 17, 2022 - General Election
The
Charlotte City Council Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee has
recommended three redistricting plans for further consideration.
See maps of
Draft Plans A, B, and C. (Draft Plan D was not selected
to move forward.) District 3 has a population above the optimum size
and will lose precincts. Draft Plan A moves 1 precinct from District
3 to District 1 (Precinct 22) and 1 precinct from District 3 to
District 6 (Precinct 77). Plans B and C move three precincts from
District 3 to District 2 (Precincts 23, 24, and 81).
The City of Charlotte is hosting a virtual Redistricting
Listening Session on Tuesday, October 5, at 6:00 PM. See
Redistricting Listening Session Registration Form for more
information and to sign up to speak. Residents who register to participate will have access to join the WebEx engagement experience.
The listening session will also be live streamed on the city's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Redistricting timeline:
- October 5: The redistricting committee will receive public comments and input on proposed, revised district maps being considered by the committee.
- October 18: The City Council will hold a public hearing on proposed, revised district maps.
- November 8: The City Council will vote to adopt revised district maps based on 2020 census data.
- November 12: The city will notify the local board of elections as to whether final revised maps will be available by November 17.
- November 17: The city’s deadline to provide adopted district maps to the board of elections, in accordance with law.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board members serve four year
staggered terms. At-large members were elected in 2019. Mecklenburg
County residents will elect six district representatives in
2022, postponed from 2021. The election
schedule:
- Filing for the School Board opens at noon July 25, 2022 and ends at noon on August 12, 2022.
- The Election is on Tuesday, November 8 2022.
A Redistricting Workgroup (RWG) will present three district map
options to the Board of Education on October 12, 2021. District 2
has a population above the optimum size and will lose precincts.
Redistricting timeline:
- September 7, 2021 to October 1, 2021: RWG completes map
drawing with three distinct options.
- October 12, 2021: RWG presents the proposed three mas to
the Board of Education
- October 13, 2021: Virtual Town Hall #1
- October 19, 2021: Virtual Town Hall #2
- October 21, 2021: Virtual Town Hall #3
- October 21, 2021: Public hearing on the proposed three maps and Board of Education work session
- November 5, 2021: Final proposed maps posted on CMS website, Facebook page, and Twitter account
- November 9, 2021: Public hearing and Board of Education vote on final map
Mecklenburg Board of
County Commissioners
Mecklenburg
County residents will elect six district representatives in
2022 following the standard 2022 election
schedule:
- Filing opens at noon on Monday, December 6, 2021 and closes at noon on Friday, December 17, 2021.
- Tuesday, March 8, 2022: Primary Election
- Tuesday, November 8, 2022: General Election.
The Board of County Commissioners will receive a presentation
with three alternatives at its regular meeting on Tuesday,
October 5. Most of Steele Creek is in District 2, which exceeds
the optimum population by more than 5% and will need to lose one
or more precincts. Two options will move a minimal number of
precincts. Option A moves one precinct (Precinct 98) from
District 2 to District 5. Option B moves two precincts
(Precincts 22 and 52) from District 2 to District 5. Option C
starts with a blank slate and moves 60 precincts.
Two Steele Creek precincts (Precincts 122 and 229) currently are
in District 6 and remain in District 6 in Options A and B.
See the meeting agenda here:
October 5 Meeting Agenda. See the link to the Mecklenburg County BOCC Proposed
Redistricting Plans
with the maps on Page 3 of the agenda. Members of the public can
access and view the meeting on the Government Channel or online
at:
https://watch.mecknc.gov on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 beginning at 5:00
PM.
Although the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board and Board of
County Commissioners each divide the county into six districts,
there seems little interest in coordinating the districts.
Redistricting timeline:
- October 5, 2021: Presentation of 3 alternatives
- October 19, 2021: Public hearing on proposed plans
- November 3, 2021: Adoption of Resolution for selected plan
- November 17, 2021: Deadline for submission of adopted plan
to the Board of Elections
North Carolina General Assembly and United States Congress
The North Carolina General Assembly has been holding public hearings
on redistricting. View videos of these meeting and follow the
redistricting progress at this link:
Legislative and Congressional Redistricting.
Mecklenburg County
currently has 10% of the members of the General Assembly: 5
of 50 senators and 12 of 120 House members. Due to population
growth, Mecklenburg County likely will add one partial Senate
district and a 13th House district.
Mecklenburg County contains all of Congressional District 12 and
part of Congressional District 9.
It is unclear whether the General Assembly will retain most of the
correct districts, moving precincts as necessary to equalize
populations, or start from scratch.
The Primary Election is on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, and the General
Election is on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
To
comment on this
story, please visit the
Steele Creek Residents Association Facebook Page.
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