Elections board wants to use old Wake County maps for 2018 races

Election officials are asking a judge for permission to use old district lines for next year’s election of Wake County school board members and commissioners as a lawsuit continues to make its way through the court system.

The motion, filed in U.S. District Court this week by the Wake County Board of Elections, asks to continue district lines that were drawn in 2011 until the General Assembly creates new districts or the 2020 U.S. Census is complete – whichever comes first.

Under the old voting maps, Wake County commissioners run in one of seven districts and are elected by voters throughout the entire county. School board candidates run in one of nine districts and are elected by the voters who live in that district.

The Board of Elections wants to use the old maps so candidates know which district to file in for next fall’s election. County commissioner candidates must file by February, and school board candidates must file by June.

The primary is May 8, and general elections are Nov. 6.

In 2011, the school board and commissioners adopted new election districts that they expected would be used through 2020. But the General Assembly redrew the maps in 2013 to turn two Wake school board seats into regional districts, with each covering about half the county. In 2015, state lawmakers changed the Wake commissioner lines to match the school board districts.

Several left-leaning groups filed a lawsuit challenging the maps, arguing that the Republican-led legislature redrew the lines to stop the Democratic majorities that had taken over the school board and county commission in recent years.

The new maps were set to go into effect for the 2016 election, but the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided in July 2016 that the General Assembly’s redistricting maps were unconstitutional. The court said the maps violated the principle of “one person, one vote” and gave an unfair advantage to voters in suburban districts.

The unconstitutional maps also put many commissioners and school board members in the same districts.

In August 2016, U.S. Chief District Court Judge James C. Dever III decided that the Wake County Board of Elections should use the 2011 districting plans for the 2016 school board and board of commissioners elections.

In its motion this week, the Board of Elections said it needs to know which maps to use next fall. The motion is backed by the plaintiffs who’ve been asking for the 2011 maps to be used since they filed the lawsuit.

“During the long legislative session that included election matters and redistricting (including a special session in October 2017), the General Assembly had every opportunity to revise the districting plans for the School Board and the Board of Commissioners to reflect their policy decisions,” the motion said.

Since the General Assembly didn’t create new maps and won’t return for a full session until May 2018, using the old maps “provides confidence and consistency for Wake County voters and candidates,” according to the motion.

In September, Dever ordered the Wake County Board of Elections to pay $407,281 in attorneys fees and court costs to the plaintiffs. The Wake Board of Elections was sued because it’s charged with enforcing the election maps.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Elections board wants to use old Wake County maps for 2018 races."