<< Back 8/14/02 Swain wants referendum on staggered terms SMN Swain County officials are in a race against time to get a resolution passed calling for a referendum in the November general election to alter the way commissioners are elected. Swain County’s five commissioners are currently elected at-large by all qualified voters in the county. The draft resolution now under consideration calls for the board members be elected to staggered terms by districts. The chairman would continue to be elected at-large. Should the referendum pass, for the initial election the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes would be elected for four-year terms and the other two candidates would serve two-year terms; thereafter, all terms would be four years. The chairman would be elected to a four-year term. The delay in getting a resolution drafted resulted from the fact that Swain County had no districts drawn. The solution was to create four districts from Swain’s five voting precincts. Voting precinct one will become district one. Voting precinct two will be come district two. Precincts three and four will be combined to create district three and precinct five will be district four. The districts were created to have comparable numbers of voters from each district. Commissioners will still be elected by a countywide vote. Voters will elect the candidate of their choice from each district. The elected candidate will be required to remain a resident of his/her district for the duration of her/his term. The new system — if passed — would take effect on the first Monday in December following this year’s Nov. 5 general election. Then the approved alteration for electing commissioners would be implemented at the first succeeding primary and general election for county offices, which would be the 2006 elections.