§ 17-204. Definitions. For the purposes of this title:\n 1. "At-large" method of election means a method of electing members to\nthe governing body of a political subdivision:
(a)in which all of the\nvoters of the entire political subdivision elect each of the members to\nthe governing body;
(b)in which the candidates are required to reside\nwithin given areas of the political subdivision and all of the voters of\nthe entire political subdivision elect each of the members to the\ngoverning body; or (c) that combines at-large elections with\ndistrict-based elections, unless the only member of the governing body\nof a political subdivision elected at-large holds exclusively executive\nresponsibilities. For the purposes of this title, at-large method of\nelection does not include ranked-
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§ 17-204. Definitions. For the purposes of this title:\n 1. "At-large" method of election means a method of electing members to\nthe governing body of a political subdivision: (a) in which all of the\nvoters of the entire political subdivision elect each of the members to\nthe governing body; (b) in which the candidates are required to reside\nwithin given areas of the political subdivision and all of the voters of\nthe entire political subdivision elect each of the members to the\ngoverning body; or (c) that combines at-large elections with\ndistrict-based elections, unless the only member of the governing body\nof a political subdivision elected at-large holds exclusively executive\nresponsibilities. For the purposes of this title, at-large method of\nelection does not include ranked-choice voting, cumulative voting, and\nlimited voting.\n 2. "District-based" method of election means a method of electing\nmembers to the governing body of a political subdivision using a\ndistricting or redistricting plan in which each member of the governing\nbody resides within a district or ward that is a divisible part of the\npolitical subdivision and is elected only by voters residing within that\ndistrict or ward, except for a member of the governing body that holds\nexclusively executive responsibilities.\n 3. "Alternative" method of election means a method of electing members\nto the governing body of a political subdivision using a method other\nthan at-large or district-based, including, but not limited to,\nranked-choice voting, cumulative voting, and limited voting.\n 4. "Political subdivision" means a geographic area of representation\ncreated for the provision of government services, including, but not\nlimited to, a county, city, town, village, school district, or any other\ndistrict organized pursuant to state or local law.\n 5. "Protected class" means a class of individuals who are members of a\nrace, color, or language-minority group, including individuals who are\nmembers of a minimum reporting category that has ever been officially\nrecognized by the United States census bureau.\n 5-a. "Language minorities" or "language-minority group" means persons\nwho are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives or of Spanish\nheritage.\n 6. "Racially polarized voting" means voting in which there is a\ndivergence in the candidate, political preferences, or electoral choice\nof members in a protected class from the candidates, or electoral choice\nof the rest of the electorate.\n 7. "Federal voting rights act" means the federal Voting Rights Act of\n1965, 52 U.S.C. § 10301 et seq., as amended.\n 8. The "civil rights bureau" means the civil rights bureau of the\noffice of the attorney general.\n 9. "Government enforcement action" means a denial of administrative or\njudicial preclearance by the state or federal government, pending\nlitigation filed by a federal or state entity, a final judgment or\nadjudication, a consent decree, or similar formal action.\n