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Hickory council asks state to move municipal elections to even years, 6–1
Summary
Hickory City Council voted 6–1 to adopt a resolution asking the North Carolina General Assembly to amend the city charter to move municipal elections to even-numbered years, a step proponents say will raise turnout and reduce local election costs. Opponents argued the change risks partisan coattails and reduced focus on local races.
Hickory City Council voted 6–1 on Feb. 3 to adopt a resolution asking the North Carolina General Assembly to amend the city charter so Hickory’s municipal elections occur in even-numbered years.
City Manager Warren Wood told the council that the proposal responds to three trends: low turnout in recent odd-year municipal elections, concerns about partisanship being injected into local races, and the fixed cost of running elections. Wood summarized recent local figures, saying the city has about 30,000 eligible voters and that 4,800 ballots were cast in the most recent municipal election (about 16 percent turnout), while general election turnout in…
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