Posted on 07/16/2002 7:30:36 PM PDT by cf_river_rat
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Their fight over new legislative maps finished for the moment, state lawmakers have agreed to hold North Carolina's long-delayed primary elections on Sept. 10.
The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of the plan, which also eliminates runoffs. The House had approved the date Monday evening. Gov. Mike Easley signed the bill Tuesday afternoon.
"We tried to make sure that everyone who could be affected was consulted on this," said Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland. "The time frame was compressed so this was about the only way to do it."
The compressed election schedule is the result of a bitter, protracted lawsuit brought by Republicans, who successfully challenged new legislative districts.
Primary elections scheduled for May 7 were indefinitely delayed after a lower court judge, then the state Supreme Court, ruled that state House and Senate districts were unconstitutional because their lines cut across too many counties.
While the matter was settled, the State Board of Elections chose to delay all voting in order to spare local election districts the expense and trouble of holding voting on multiple days.
The delayed primaries included the critical U.S. Senate race to succeed Jesse Helms. Former Cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole is the favorite to win the GOP nomination. Former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and former state House Speaker Dan Blue are among nine candidates in the Democratic primary.
Over the objections of Democratic legislative leaders, the U.S. Justice Department on Friday approved revised districts drawn by Superior Court Judge Knox Jenkins. That decision cleared the way for a new election schedule to be set.
"It would have been better if we had more time," said Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg. "But I am thrilled with the fact that the people, for the first time in many, many years, will vote in fair and competitive elections."
The elimination of runoffs means that the top vote-getter in all races will win the party's nomination regardless of the margin. Ordinarily, a candidate has to win 40 percent plus one vote to avoid a runoff.
The legislation leaves it to the state Board of Elections to set a new filing period for state House and Senate races.
The board, scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon, was expected to set a new one-week filing period to begin Friday.
Rand said there seemed to be little resistance among candidates to eliminating the runoffs. Even if they were possible, he said, election officials expected low voter turnout.
Bartlett told legislators on Monday that federal absentee balloting requirements left no time for runoffs.
Senate leader Marc Basnight, D-Dare, added that he prefers a late primary date so that elections aren't dragged out over seven months.
"What benefits the people of the state? Is it better to have a late primary? I say yes," Basnight said.
Typical bias fron the News & Observer. It would be more accurate to say:
The compressed election schedule was brought about by gerrymandering instituted and perpetuated by Democrats, who chose to ignore precedent-setting court decisions in other states, and who by continued frivolous legal maneuvers attempted to stall the inevitable decision so as to conduct the 2002 elections under blatantly illegal apportionment.
Well, let that rag get their cheap shots in. Justice has been served, gerrymandering has been dealt a mortal blow, and all that remains is for the GOP's supporters to work hard between now and November. With Elizabeth Dole at the top of the ticket, we should be favored to take back the N.C. House, and I believe we have a fighting chance to take the State Senate, too. It's vitally important that we do so, because the House and Senate districts are applicable only for this year's election. The House and Senate elected in November will draw the districts which will be in place through the elections of 2010. Let's roll!
I'm not sure if many people understand that we will be redistricting again next Spring, and that it is crucial that we take at least one of the legislative houses.
It will be interesting to see how the House filings change when filing reopens, presumably on Friday.
1) You want to be added to my North Carolina ping-list.
2) You no longer want to be included in this North Carolina ping-list.
FRegards,
Constitution Day
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