Source: WRAL
Early voting is underway in North Carolina. Thousands of people have cast their ballots through the mail, and many have gone to cast their ballot at the polls as in-person early voting started on Oct. 17. With voters heading to the polls and filling out their mail-in ballots, here’s a look at what North Carolinians will be voting on this year.
President of the United States
Of the many races on the ballot in NC, the presidential race has been one of the most watched. President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign earlier this year and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in to take his place as the Democratic nominee for president, choosing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
Harris and Walz will be on the ballot as the democratic ticket, and former President Donald Trump alongside his running mate, a senator from Ohio, JD Vance, will be on the Republican ticket.
North Carolina is seen as a pivotal state for the presidential race, with many asserting that the road to the white house goes through the state. Both Harris and Trump have made a multitude of visits to the state as we approach election day, confirming the critical importance of the state’s 16 electoral votes.
Governor of North Carolina
Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has reached his term limit after being elected two consecutive terms since 2016. Vying for his seat in the governor’s mansion is state Attorney General, Josh Stein (Democrat); the state’s Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson (Republican); Wayne Turner (Green); Mike Ross (Libertarian); and Vinny Smith (Constitution).
Stein, who has been endorsed by Governor Cooper, has been leading the poll in recent weeks with the gap between him and Robinson widening after a string of reports covering controversial comments the Lt. Governor made on various social media websites over the years.
The most recent report came from CNN, claiming Robinson posted explicit and derogatory statements on a porn websites forum. Despite Robinson denying the allegations, state and national republicans have distanced themselves from Robinson, including former President Trump who had previously endorsed him. In addition to the withdrawal of republican support, Robinsons campaign staff resigned and his polling numbers have suffered.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
A state race that usually goes under the radar has been receiving national attention this cycle; Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Republican nominee, Michele Morrow, has made national headlines for calling for the execution of prominent democrats including former president Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and Governor Roy Cooper. She faces additional controversy due to her espousal of conspiracy theories related to vaccines, the 2020 election
Her Democratic opponent Mo Green was previously the superintendent for one of North Carolina’s largest school districts for several years and the former executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.
The current superintendent, Catherine Truitt, a Republican who lost to Morrow during the March primaries, has not endorsed either candidate and has said she will not be endorsing Morrow. Local school board seats are also set to be on ballots this year.
General Assembly and US Congress
Every seat in the U.S House of Representatives and the NC General Assembly is up for election. This means North Carolina voters will have the chance to choose legislative representation on a state and federal level.
In the US Congress, North Carolina is currently represented by 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats. However, the congressional maps were recently gerrymandered in favor of Republicans. Under these new maps, all eyes are on Congressional District 1 in eastern NC as the most competitive district in the state. The seat is currently represented by Democratic Representative Rep. Don Davis.
In the General Assembly, state Republicans currently have a supermajority by a margin of one seat, allowing them to override Governor Cooper’s vetoes. In this year’s election, a small number of competitive seats in the state house and Senate will determine who controls the state legislature.
State Supreme Court
North Carolina’s highest court also has a seat up for election. Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs (Democrat), who was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to fill the vacancy left after Justice Mike Morgan stepped down, will be running to retain her seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Her Republican opponent, Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin seeks to turn the court’s 5-2 Republican majority into a 6-1 majority.
Constitutional Amendment
Outside of elected officials, North Carolina voters can expect to see a constitutional amendment on the ballot that reaffirms the constitutional law that only citizens can vote in elections. This constitutional amendment has been criticized by advocates who say it only serves to stoke fear and cast doubt on the election process as non-citizens are already barred from voting by law.
Important Dates
Here are important dates to remember for the 2024 election in North Carolina.
Early voting started the morning of Oct. 17 and runs until 3 p.m. on Nov. 2. Voters can cast their ballots early in person at any early voting site in their county. You can find available early voting sites in your county through the State Board of Elections website.
Mail-in ballots can be requested until Oct. 29 and must be returned to or received by the correct county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. November 5th. The state board of elections encourages voters to fill out and return their absentee ballots as early as possible, citing a week before the election as the latest date, so that ballots can be received in time. Mail-in ballots can also be filled out and hand-delivered by the voter or close family to the correct county board of elections. The state board of elections offers detailed instructions on how to vote by mail.
Election Day is Nov. 5. All polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find your polling location by using the State Board of Elections voter search tool. This tool will show you your polling location as well as a sample of your ballot.
Election Changes
There have been changes made to this year’s voting process that North Carolina voters should be aware of before casting their vote. To vote in this general election, North Carolina voters will have to show an approved form of identification. Approved forms of ID range from driver licenses to passports to student ID’s. If voters don’t have one of the approved forms of identification, they can receive a free voter photo ID from their county board of elections.
Results will take longer to tally than in previous election cycles. State Republicans passed a law that prohibits early votes from being counted until the end of election day, Nov. 5. Though this was put in place by conservative lawmakers, it resulted in conservative voters spreading conspiracy theories about the delay in this year’s March primary election.
For voters registered to vote in counties affected by Hurricane Helene, polling locations, mail-in ballots, and voting procedures have changed due to the damage caused by the hurricane. The State Board of Elections has set up a page on its website to help guide voters through the various changes put in place to allow voters disenfranchised by the storm to still vote. As of the writing of this article, 25 counties affected by Helene are under the jurisdiction of new voting laws. This includes an exemption from voter ID requirements, changes in how you can receive and return absentee ballots, and more. The page also includes updates from various county boards of elections, so voters can stay up to date on the latest information.
