If Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly have their way, municipal elections would be held in even-numbered years, beginning in 2020.

In a vote mostly along party lines last week, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a bill that calls for a legislative oversight committee to study such a move. The bill is Senate Bill 667, which was introduced last spring. The state Senate approved it Friday after the state House approved it Thursday.

“It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide for even-numbered year municipal elections, effective with the 2020 election cycle. The Joint Legislative Elections 41 Oversight Committee shall study the options to implement this change and recommend to the 42 General Assembly any legislation it deems advisable. It shall make a final report before the 43 convening of the 2017 Regular Session of the General Assembly,” reads a section of the bill.

After studying the matter, the committee would make suggestions for implementing such a change. Additional legislation would have to be passed later to make the change. The committee’s report would be due before the 2017 session of the General Assembly convenes.

The switch to conducting municipal elections in even-numbered years would save Beaufort County’s municipalities money because they could piggy-back their elections on federal, state and county elections already held in even-numbered years, according to Kellie Harris Hopkins, Beaufort County’s elections director. Currently, those municipalities pay the Beaufort County Board of Elections to conduct their elections.

“They would save a significant amount of money by being able to do that,” Hopkins said.

If municipal elections are moved to even-numbered years, voters would use different ballot styles that incorporate the municipal elections and other elections, Hopkins said.

Bill supporters said it would save local boards of elections and municipalities money and likely lead to higher voter turnout for municipal elections. Voter turnout in municipal elections runs lower than other elections, supporters said, adding that conducting all elections in the same cycle likely would increase voter turnout in the city, town and village elections.

The North Carolina League of Municipalities opposes the bill. “It is a recipe for unintended consequences. The provision amounts to a dictated from Raleigh telling local people how to run local elections,” said Michael Lazzarra, the league’s second vice president, in a news release.

The bill also would require the attorney general to defend the General Assembly in lawsuits challenging local laws it passes. The bill also prevents any county board of elections from change a precinct boundary unless approved by the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Existing state law allows county boards of elections to change a precinct boundary if specific conditions are met. “The State Board of Elections shall set uniform standards for precinct boundaries that the county boards of elections shall follow,” reads the bill. Currently, the state board “may” set uniform standards.