Senate OKs judicial remap of NC’s largest county

RALEIGH (AP) Election districts for Superior Court judges in North Carolina’s largest county would be retooled in response to a decade-old legal ruling in legislation that cleared one General Assembly chamber.

The Senate agreed in a party-line vote May 30 to create eight Superior Court districts in Mecklenburg County, up from the current three. People in each district would vote for one judge. District Court judgeships would fall into those same eight districts. Currently all 21 District Court judges are elected countywide. Voters would chose two or three of those judges.

Republicans says they’re worried current Mecklenburg Superior Court districts are unconstitutional because they are so unequal in population. The state Supreme Court struck down Wake County districts for that reason in 2009.

The measure next goes to the House for consideration.