Candidate filing begins for 2024 elections
National, state and local offices will be on the ballot across North Carolina for a high-stakes 2024 election, and it all begins next week, as candidates will begin submitting paperwork to launch their campaigns.
Candidate filing begins at noon on Monday, Dec. 4, and ends at noon on Friday, Dec. 15.
The 2024 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 5, when voters will start by selecting candidates who file for president and Congress.
Neither of North Carolina’s U.S. Senators, Republicans Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, face elections this year. Tillis’ seat comes around again in 2026. Budd, elected in 2022, isn’t due until 2028.
Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) has indicated that he’ll seek a second term in NC-11. Edwards already has primary opposition from Hayesville Republican Christian Reagan. Democrat Caleb Rudow [see RUDOW, p. 8] declared his intent to run for the seat on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
On the state level, candidates will file for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor. Secretary of state and auditor candidates will also run. Multiple parties have declared their intent.
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Every seat in the North Carolina General Assembly will be up for election, including senate districts 47 and 50, Represented by Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) and Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), respectively.
The House District 118 seat, consisting of Haywood and Madison counties, is held by Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood). Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) holds the District 119 seat made up of Jackson, Swain and Transylvania Counties, while Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) holds the District 120 seat encompassing Cherokee, Clay, Graham and Macon counties.
Voters will also consider four District Court judgeships in District 30, currently held by the recently-appointed Justin Greene, as well as Monica Leslie, Tessa Sellers and Kaleb Wingate.
Two seats on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, occupied by Republicans Kevin Ensley and Brandon Rogers, will be on the ballot. Longtime commissioner Ensley serves as chair. Two-term Rogers, who led the ticket in both of his elections, is vice chair.
The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 Primary Election is Friday, Feb. 9.
Although the Primary Election isn’t until March 5, voting begins nearly two months prior. On Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, county boards of elections will begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who requested them.
Absentee ballots must be returned no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
In-person early voting begins on Thursday, Feb. 15 and ends on Saturday, March 2.
Registration and absentee ballot deadlines are different for military and overseas voters. Check the North Carolina State Board of Elections for specific instructions.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
For more information on registering, running for office or voting, or to view previous election results, visit the NCSBE website at ncsbe.gov.
