April 13, 2009  

CARY, NC – Cary citizens are invited to share their opinions on a proposal to change Cary’s method of electing Council members from the non-partisan election and runoff method to the non-partisan plurality method at a public hearing on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. during the Council’s regular meeting; the meeting will be held at the Cary Town Hall Council Chambers, 316 N. Academy St.  The public hearing follows the Town Council’s adoption of a resolution of intent on March 26, 2009 , to change Cary ’s method of election.  The issue of Instant Runoff Voting is not a topic for this public hearing.

Under the proposed non-partisan plurality method, a single election would be held in November, and the candidate who receives the highest number of votes for a particular seat would be declared the winner.  The Town used this method of election until November 9, 2000 , at which time the Council moved to the current election and runoff method.

With the current election and runoff method, Cary citizens hold regular elections for Council four weeks before the General Election. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast wins. A majority is defined as half plus at least one of the votes cast. If no candidate takes a majority of the votes cast for his/her seat, the candidate winning the most votes is declared the winner unless the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes requests a runoff. Then, a runoff is held on the same day as the General Election, and the winner of the runoff wins the seat.

To change the election method, North Carolina Law (NCGS 160A-102), requires the Cary Town Council to adopt an ordinance amending the Town’s charter not earlier than the next regular meeting after the public hearing and not later than 60 days after the public hearing.  The Council is expected to discuss the matter again at its April 30, 2009 meeting.

More information about elections methods and the proposed changes is available in the staff report from the March 12, 2009 Council meeting at www.townofcary.org.

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