Page:United States Reports 502 OCT. TERM 1991.pdf/661

 502us2$30I 09-08-95 14:43:51 PAGES OPINPGT

Cite as: 502 U. S. 491 (1992)

503

Opinion of the Court

which concerned changes in the composition of the electorate that may vote for candidates for a given office. See Perkins v. Matthews, 400 U. S., at 394 (change from ward to at-large elections); id., at 388 (boundary lines of voting districts); City of Richmond v. United States, 422 U. S. 358 (1975) (same). Fourth, we have made clear that § 5 applies to changes, like the one in Bunton v. Patterson, affecting the creation or abolition of an elective office. See McCain v. Lybrand, 465 U. S. 236 (1984) (appointed officials replaced by elected officials); Lockhart v. United States, 460 U. S. 125 (1983) (increase in number of city councilors). The first three categories involve changes in election procedures, while all the examples within the fourth category might be termed substantive changes as to which offices are elective. But whether the changes are of procedure or substance, each has a direct relation to voting and the election process. III A comparison of the changes at issue here with those in our prior decisions demonstrates that the present cases do not involve changes covered by the Act. A The Etowah County Commission’s Common Fund Resolution is not a change within any of the categories recognized in Allen or our later cases. It has no connection to voting procedures: It does not affect the manner of holding elections, it alters or imposes no candidacy qualifications or requirements, and it leaves undisturbed the composition of the electorate. It also has no bearing on the substance of voting power, for it does not increase or diminish the number of officials for whom the electorate may vote. Rather, the Common Fund Resolution concerns the internal operations of an elected body. Appellants argue that the Common Fund Resolution is a covered change because after its enactment each commis-