Legislature returns with local election bills before House committee

RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers returned to Raleigh this week with a House committee scheduled to consider several local election bills affecting municipal voting rules in Pink Hill, Belville, Jacksonville and Rural Hall.

The House convened at 10:30 a.m. Monday, according to the chamber’s calendar. The House Election Law Committee is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Legislative Building. The committee agenda includes four local bills, each tied to municipal election procedures or local government structure.

House Bill 1035 would require municipal elections in the Town of Pink Hill to be held in even-numbered years. The bill would also restore certain voting methods in town elections and extend the current terms of the mayor and commissioners whose terms are scheduled to expire in 2027 and 2029 by one year. Regular municipal elections in Pink Hill would resume in even-numbered years beginning in 2028. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Chris Humphrey, with Rep. Howard Penny Ward also listed on the bill page.

House Bill 1037 would require municipal elections in the Town of Belville to be conducted in even-numbered years and would increase the mayor’s term from two years to four years. The bill would also cancel Belville’s regular municipal election in 2027 and extend terms set to expire in 2027 and 2029 by one year. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Frank Iler.

House Bill 1038 would require all members of the Jacksonville City Council to be elected at large by voters citywide. Under the bill, no Jacksonville council members would be elected by ward beginning with the 2027 regular municipal elections. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Wyatt Gable and Phil Shepard.

House Bill 1067 would amend the Town of Rural Hall charter to establish a process for unaffiliated candidates seeking municipal office by petition. The bill would require unaffiliated candidates to comply with Article 11 of Chapter 163 of the General Statutes, while allowing the Forsyth County Board of Elections to set rules for petition deadlines and information required on petitions. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Kyle Hall.

All four measures are local bills, but they touch recurring election-law issues that can draw broader attention, including whether municipal elections should be moved to even-numbered years, how local governing boards should be elected and what rules apply to unaffiliated candidates.

The committee agenda comes as the General Assembly continues work in the 2026 short session. The House calendar also lists reconsideration of several previously vetoed bills under unfinished business, while Senate committees are scheduled to take up local government bills, including several deannexation measures.

The bills before the House Election Law Committee would still need additional action before becoming law. Each has been referred to the Election Law Committee and, if favorable, to the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations Committee.

Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.