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Bill Summary · SB 834

Summary: SB 834 (2025 Session) – Town of Bolivia/Even-Year Elections

Purpose

SB 834 proposes to change the scheduling of municipal elections for the Town of Bolivia from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. The bill aims to align Bolivia’s regular municipal elections with the even-year cycle, affecting when mayor and aldermen are elected and when terms begin.

Key Provisions

  • Election timing change (Section 2 of the Charter):

    • Historically, Bolivia held municipal elections on the first Monday in May of odd-numbered years (the text indicates a shift from May 1963 with biennial even-year description, but the operative effect is to switch to even years).
    • The bill rewrites the election schedule to conduct regular elections in even-numbered years.

  • Officials elected and terms (Section 1):

    • Elections are to elect a mayor and four aldermen.
    • Elected officials take office on the first Tuesday in May next succeeding their election.
    • Each term lasts two years and continues until successors are elected and qualified.
    • Elections are to be held and conducted under Article 3 of Chapter 160-163 of the General Statutes (the existing framework for municipal elections in North Carolina).

  • Term adjustments and transition (Section 2):

    • The terms of the mayor and board of aldermen that would expire in 2027 are reduced by one year to expire in 2026.
    • Regular municipal elections in Bolivia will be conducted in 2026 and biennially thereafter (i.e., 2026, 2028, 2030, etc.).

  • Effective date (Section 3):

    • The act becomes law upon becoming effective and applies to elections held on or after that date.

Who/What is Affected

  • Town of Bolivia municipal government:
    • Mayor and four aldermen positions.
  • Electoral calendar and terms:
    • Shifts elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years.
    • Shortens the term for the current officeholders whose terms would have expired in 2027, moving them to expire in 2026 to facilitate the transition.
  • Voter participants:
    • Eligible voters in Bolivia will vote in even-year municipal elections going forward.

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

  • Transitional adjustment: The 2027 terms are shortened to align with the new cycle, resulting in a 2026 election as the first in the new schedule.
  • Elections governed by existing state statutes: The process remains under the standard North Carolina municipal election framework (Article 3 of Chapter 160-163 G.S.).
  • Effective date: The act becomes law upon passage and applies to elections held on or after that date.

Practical Implications

  • Aligning Bolivia’s municipal elections with even-numbered years may improve consistency with other local or state election cycles, potentially affecting voter turnout patterns and coordination with other elections.
  • The transition requires careful administration to reconcile the shortened term ending in 2026 and the first regular even-year election in 2026.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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