I expect there will be a lot of discussion at the General Assembly in the next 90 days and with the 45 or so cities and school boards which have districts and are affected. /1 https://twitter.com/sharrison_wfae/status/1354935876128800770

I worked on this issue at the General Assembly in 1990 and with several municipalities that delayed 1991 elections until 1992. I think there were also a few affected in 2001 and 2011. But nothing like the 2021 scope of problems. /2

There is basically no more than a week of wiggle room in the 2021 election calendar. — a September 14 CLT primary requires mail ballots to go out Aug 15 /3

The CMS Board election isn’t until November, but the county has to administer multiple elections in 2021 with 3 different methods (Matthews has an Oct 5 primary). /4

Another kicker — under state law if the CMS election moves to the March primary, then under a 2013 law no countywide bond or tax election could be on a November ballot. /5

A law saying run the 2021 elections for CLT and CMS with 2010 districts could be problematic. /6

The 2020 census data release delay until July 30 was a brew of COVID-19, incompetence and malevolence. /7

And finally, changes in CLT and CMS districts will require the county board of elections to update 800,000 voter records before mail ballots can go out. That’s not a quick project in and of itself. /8

My comment on the witches brew leading to the delays involves decisions made in 2019 and 2020 /9

In Wake County our board of elections runs FOUR district elections - Raleigh and Cary Oct 5, Durham primary Oct 5, and Angier Nov 2. Three different election systems. /10

FWIW there are two cities with partisan primaries that vote in the even-numbered years under local acts — Lincolnton and Winston-Salem. Primary in March, election in November /11

I also see there are at least 2 consultants following this thread — a practical issue — there aren’t a lot of people who know all the legal issues relating to doing redistricting and assisting the local governments — if 45 cities are doing this at once ... /12

And if Congress reinstates the Voting Rights Act this year with a new coverage formula, that’s another redistricting issue on the horizon ..... /13