Granville County
Activists within Granville County have already tried to implement
limited voting for County Board of Commissioner elections. The County
as a whole is 34.8% African American and has only one African American
commissioner. Until 1987 commissioners were elected at large from the
county as a whole, with the result that the minority vote was diluted
and African Americans were unable to get elected. A challenge was
brought under the Voting Rights Act. Since the African American
community in Granville County is not concentrated in a way that would
allow more than one black majority district to be formed, the district
court ordered that the county implement a limited voting system so that
African Americans were ensured representation. The Fourth Circuit
Court, however, overturned this decision, concluding that single member
districts would provide sufficient representation, in spite of the fact
that this would leave large numbers of black voters with no hope of
being able to elect a black candidate. In consequence, the Board of
Commissioners has only one African American member, when it would need
two to reflect the countyís ethnic makeup. The commissioners are now
elected from each of seven districts in staggered elections to serve
four-year terms. The County School Board consists of seven members who
are elected from seven districts in staggered elections to serve
six-year terms. Granville County contains no large cities. The largest
town, Oxford, has a population of 6,178 people. Their Board of
Commissioners consists of seven members who are elected at large in
staggered elections to serve four-year terms. Butner is the only other
town with a population over 4,000. It has a seven member Advisory Board
whose members are elected at large in non-staggered elections to
four-year terms.