Redistricting

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On November 8th, 2021, the Fayetteville City Council officially approved the new district maps that will be used by the city for the next 10 years. Click here for the final resolution approving the new districts.

The equal protection clause of the United States Constitution requires that where electoral districts are used, they must be substantially equal in population so that each person's vote counts about the same.

Municipalities in North Carolina such as Fayetteville that use election districts are legally required to consider redistricting every 10 years following the U.S. decennial census to maintain a population balance among electoral districts. In addition to mandating redistricting activities following a decennial census, NC law (§ 160A-23) gives municipalities the authority “to revise electoral district boundaries from time to time.”

Summer 2021 Redistricting Update

2021 Legal Guidelines for Redistricting

The guidelines below are derived from State statutes, court rulings, and the Cumberland County Board of Elections. (Chapter 160A-23 of the N.C. General Statutes has more information on redistricting for cities and towns.)

District size by population - Council districts must be balanced based on district population, not on the number of registered voters. Redistricting for Council districts should be based on an official enumeration of population, such as a special census or Decennial Census, and must be based on the most recent census
Size of districts - State law and federal courts require that City Council districts contain roughly equivalent populations, and be within 5% of the ideal district size.
District boundaries and precincts - Council district boundaries should generally not split precinct boundaries, in order to lessen voter confusion and conserve government resources. Boundaries of districts should follow some established line of demarcation such as roads.
Residency requirement - Council members must reside within the district from which they are elected.

NC Law Establishes Municipal Election Schedule

By action of the State Legislature, the City of Fayetteville and other cites with a district system will have their November 2021 elections moved to March 8, 2022.

This law only changes the date for the 2021 elections and will not affect any future elections.

The candidate filing period for the affected Cities will now be December 6-17, 2021. Cities have until November 17, 2021 to complete their redistricting and notify the appropriate board of elections. If necessary, cities may request a one-month extension to December 17, 2021. This will move the candidate filing period to January 3-7, 2022 but the election date will remain as March 8, 2022.

Why Redistrict?

Who Counts in the Census?

Everyone counts and this holds true for the 2020 US Census count. The districts are configured for the ideal population of the City; young, old, voters, non-voters, minorities, and everyone. Some districts may have more turnout than others and some may have greater participation in elections. However, the “one person, one vote” clause of the Constitution requires the City to configure the districts to be as equal as possible counting the total population. Current Census data is available Census.gov.

Documents and Presentations

Documents