The North Carolina Legislature effectively approved the moving of Faith and China Grove’s elections to even years last week, voting overwhelmingly to approve House Bill 17.

The local portions of the bill were filed at the request of the Faith Board of Aldermen and the China Grove Town Council, with each wanting to move to even years to mirror national elections.

“I like the idea,” China Grove Council Member Don Bringle said at a previous meeting, “not that it’s extending my year, but the fact that during a presidential election, we sitting up here and those who have voted know, the voice of the town has been 300 to 350 votes and sometimes, less than that, in a town that has more than 5,000 people. In a presidential year, there are more people coming out who are going to vote for the elections … it could definitely get the voice of the people of China Grove more so than (odd-numbered years).  

The Faith aldermen also expressed a desire to save money with the move, with Town Attorney and Board of Elections Chairman John Hudson saying that the move could save the town thousands of dollars.

The bill also changed the Faith charter to make their terms four years, a change which the aldermen said would allow them more time to learn how to perform their roles.

“Two years, to a new person, doesn’t give you much time to learn within those two years. Four years, you’re informed and now you have settled in or whatever it is. It seems like two years comes so fast,” said Mayor Randall Barger during the original discussion in July of 2023.

The China Grove Town Council already serves four year terms.

In order to make the change, members of the Faith board will have their terms extended by one year, with all five seats being up for election in 2024. In China Grove, Bringle, Cheryl Sheets and Arthur Heggins will have their terms extended by one year.

HB 17 was officially filed by Representative Reece Pyrtle Jr. of Rockingham County, as the two Rowan County towns were combined with Rockingham’s Monroe. However, Representatives Grant Campbell and Harry Warren filed individual bills for both China Grove and Faith, with the text from those bills being added to HB 17.

Once the bill was ratified last week, it immediately became law as local bills do not require the governor’s signature.