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HB 116NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billpassed both
Passed

North Carolina requires partisan elections for the Columbus County Board of Education

Original title: Jacksonville Annexation & Conforming Changes.

Last action · August 6, 2026: Ch. SL 2026-56Sponsors: Brenden Jones and 3 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Columbus County Board of Education elections will shift to a , with five members elected from single-member districts to staggered four-year terms starting after current terms expire. Candidates will be nominated alongside other county officers, and the Whiteville School Administrative Unit is excluded from voting on these seats.

Why it matters

Voters in Columbus County will choose school board candidates aligned with political parties rather than on a nonpartisan ballot, altering how local educational leadership campaigns and elections are structured.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Columbus County Board of Education candidates

Candidates must run on a partisan basis and be nominated in the same manner as other county officers.

Directly affected

Columbus County voters

Voters participate in partisan elections for school board members representing single-member districts.

Key Facts

  • The Columbus County Board of Education consists of five members elected to staggered four-year terms from five single-member residency districts.
  • Members are elected by the qualified voters of the entire county, excluding the area encompassing the Whiteville School Administrative Unit.
  • Candidates must be qualified voters and residents of the district they seek to represent.
  • Board members are elected on a partisan basis during general elections in even-numbered years as terms expire.
Show all 10 facts
  • Candidates are nominated at the same time and in the same manner as other county officers under Chapters 115C and 163 of the General Statutes.
  • Members take office on the first Monday in December following the election.
  • The act does not affect the terms of office of members elected in 2022 or 2024.
  • Vacancies for members elected in 2022 or 2024 are filled by the remaining board members until the next election.
  • General vacancy procedures under G.S. 115C-37.1 are updated to include Columbus County, effective December 1, 2026.
  • Nine prior local session laws and acts concerning school board elections in Columbus County are repealed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many members serve on the Columbus County Board of Education?
The board consists of five members elected from .
Do voters in the Whiteville School Administrative Unit vote for these board members?
No, voters in the area encompassing the Whiteville School Administrative Unit are excluded from voting for the Columbus County Board of Education districts.
When do newly elected board members take office?
All members take office on the first Monday in December after the election.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently passed both. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

63 actions
  1. Aug 4, 2026House
    Ordered Enrolled
  2. Aug 4, 2026House
    Conf Report Adopted 3rd
  3. Jul 28, 2026Senate
    Conf Report #CCS2 Adopted
  4. Jul 27, 2026House
    Placed On Cal For 08/04/2026
  5. Jul 27, 2026House
    Withdrawn From Cal
  6. Jul 2, 2026Senate
    Conf Report Passed 2nd
Show 57 earlier actions
  1. Jul 2, 2026Senate
    Conf Rpt #1 Recon/withdrawn
  2. Jul 2, 2026House
    Conf Report Adopted 2nd
  3. Jul 1, 2026House
    Placed On Cal For 07/02/2026
  4. Jul 1, 2026House
    Cal Pursuant Rule 44(d)
  5. Jul 1, 2026House
    Ruled Material
  6. Jul 1, 2026House
    Conf Com #2 Reported
  7. Jul 1, 2026Senate
    Placed On Cal For 07/02/2026
  8. Jul 1, 2026Senate
    Held As Material
  9. Jul 1, 2026Senate
    Conf Com #2 Reported
  10. Jul 1, 2026House
    Conferees Reappointed
  11. Jul 1, 2026House
    Conf Com Dismissed
  12. Jul 1, 2026Senate
    Conferees Reappointed
  13. Jul 1, 2026Senate
    Conf Com Dismissed
  14. Aug 28, 2025House
    Conferees Changed
  15. Aug 28, 2025House
    Conf Rpt Withdrawn
  16. Aug 28, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Com
  17. Jun 26, 2025House
    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  18. Jun 26, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Cal
  19. Jun 25, 2025House
    Placed On Cal For 06/26/2025
  20. Jun 25, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Com
  21. Jun 25, 2025Senate
    Conf Report Adopted
  22. Jun 25, 2025House
    Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  23. Jun 25, 2025House
    Conf Com Reported
  24. Jun 25, 2025Senate
    Placed on Today's Calendar
  25. Jun 25, 2025Senate
    Conf Com Reported
  26. Jun 24, 2025House
    Conferees Changed
  27. Jun 4, 2025Senate
    Conf Com Appointed
  28. Jun 3, 2025House
    Conf Com Appointed
  29. Jun 3, 2025House
    Failed Concur In S Com Sub
  30. Jun 2, 2025House
    Placed On Cal For 06/03/2025
  31. Jun 2, 2025House
    Withdrawn From Com
  32. May 27, 2025House
    Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  33. May 23, 2025House
    Regular Message Received For Concurrence in S Com Sub
  34. May 23, 2025Senate
    Regular Message Sent To House
  35. May 22, 2025Senate
    Passed 3rd Reading
  36. May 22, 2025Senate
    Passed 2nd Reading
  37. May 21, 2025Senate
    Reptd Fav
  38. May 20, 2025Senate
    Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
  39. May 20, 2025Senate
    Com Substitute Adopted
  40. May 20, 2025Senate
    Reptd Fav Com Substitute
  41. Apr 1, 2025Senate
    Re-ref to Elections. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the Senate
  42. Apr 1, 2025Senate
    Withdrawn From Com
  43. Mar 12, 2025Senate
    Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
  44. Mar 12, 2025Senate
    Passed 1st Reading
  45. Mar 12, 2025Senate
    Regular Message Received From House
  46. Mar 12, 2025House
    Regular Message Sent To Senate
  47. Mar 11, 2025House
    Passed 3rd Reading
  48. Mar 11, 2025House
    Passed 2nd Reading
  49. Mar 10, 2025House
    Placed On Cal For 03/11/2025
  50. Mar 10, 2025House
    Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
  51. Mar 10, 2025House
    Reptd Fav
  52. Mar 4, 2025House
    Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  53. Mar 4, 2025House
    Reptd Fav Com Substitute
  54. Feb 24, 2025House
    Serial Referral To State and Local Government Stricken
  55. Feb 17, 2025House
    Ref to the Com on Election Law, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
  56. Feb 17, 2025House
    Passed 1st Reading
  57. Feb 12, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Brenden JonesHouse · District 46RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Chris HumphreyHouse · District 12RepublicanCosponsor
Keith KidwellHouse · District 79RepublicanCosponsor
Joe PikeHouse · District 6RepublicanCosponsor

Connected Entities

Hickory City Board of Education, Whiteville School Administrative Unit, Columbus County Board of Education and 1 more
OrganizationHickory City Board of Education“Board referenced in G.S. 115C-37.1 vacancy statute”Map →
OrganizationWhiteville School Administrative Unit“School administrative unit excluded from voting on Columbus County school board ”Map →
OrganizationColumbus County Board of Education“Local school board transitioning to partisan elections”Map →
OrganizationNewton-Conover City Board of Education“Board referenced in G.S. 115C-37.1 vacancy statute”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.ncleg.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance45
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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