The municipal election season began with several residents from Nash and Edgecombe counties signing up to have their names placed on ballots.

The filing period started Friday for eight towns in Nash County and six towns in Edgecombe County. Candidates have until noon July 15 to file to run for office.

Three members of the Nashville Town Council signed up Friday to run for re-election. Nashville Mayor Donald Street and council members Louise Hinton and Charles Taylor all filed papers with the Board of Elections office.

Other elections activity in Nash County included Linda Virgil declaring to run for a seat on the Sharpsburg Board of Commissioners and Red Oak Commissioner Billy Moore filing for re-election.

Macclesfield Mayor Mike Hill was the only candidate Friday to file to run for office in Edgecombe County.

Rocky Mount and Tarboro will not hold elections this year. Leaders from both cities have postponed those elections to draw new voting district lines that account for population shifts brought to light after the 2010 census.

Nash and Edgecombe counties both fall under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires federal preclearance by the U.S. Attorney General’s office before redistricting plans can be put into effect. Attorneys for both towns advised their council members to delay elections until May 8, 2012 — the same date as the primary elections in North Carolina for presidential, state and congressional offices — to allow cartographers time to submit the new district maps.

Rocky Mount and Tarboro officials said their maps would not be completed and approved before July 15.

Nash County Board of Elections Director John Kearney said in a phone interview that moving Rocky Mount’s elections to May could result in a larger turnout, with the primaries drawing more voters to the polls.

“It’ll be good for voter turnout simply because the city elections will be on the same day as the primaries,” Kearney said. “I guess it will all depend on who is going to be in the primary, and for what races.”

Elections in Sharpsburg are slated for Oct. 11. All other municipal elections in the Twin Counties will take place Nov. 8.

Anyone interested in filing to run can visit Board of Elections offices in Nashville or Tarboro weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.