Cary votes to keep current election method

Cary, N.C. — The Cary Town Council voted against a proposal Thursday to change the current election method.

The proposal would have changed the town from electing council members from the non-partisan election and runoff method to the non-partisan plurality method.

Under the proposed non-partisan plurality method, a single election would have been held in November, and the candidate who received the highest number of votes for a particular seat would be declared the winner.

The Town used the method until November 2000, at which time the Council moved to the current election and runoff method.

With the current election and runoff method, Cary citizens hold regular elections for the council four weeks before the General Election. The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast wins.

A majority is defined as half, plus at least one of the votes cast. If no candidate takes a majority of the votes cast for his or her seat, the candidate winning the most votes is declared the winner unless the candidate receiving the second highest number of votes requests a runoff. Then, a runoff is held on the same day as the General Election, and the winner of the runoff wins the seat.

The first election will be held in October and if a run-off is needed it will be held in November.