Republican runoff elections nearing
The Primary Election season isn’t quite over in North Carolina, as several races didn’t meet the 30% vote threshold to deliver outright wins to top finishers. In The Smoky Mountain News coverage area across Western North Carolina, voters have two Republican runoffs to watch — Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill for the lieutenant governor position currently held by Republican Mark Robinson, and Jack Clark and Dave Boliek for the state auditor position currently held by Democrat Jessica Holmes, who was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper after fellow Democrat Beth Wood resigned in 2023.
The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor will eventually face Mecklenburg Democrat Rachel Hunt, while the Republican auditor nominee will face Holmes, a former Wake County commissioner who is running for her first full term as auditor.
In-person early voting for the Tuesday, May 14, runoff election begins on Thursday, April 25, and ends at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. Hours and locations vary by county, so contact your county board of elections for detailed information or visit the North Carolina State Board of Elections website for a complete list of sites. Bring any one of nearly a dozen state-approved forms of ID to cast your vote.
Requests for absentee ballots must be in by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, and can be made online via the N.C. Absentee Ballot Portal, or in person at your county election office. Absentee ballots must be returned to county elections offices no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Consider dropping yours off in person, as mail can be unpredictable and ballots received after the deadline won’t count.
Voting in this election is limited to registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters who either didn’t vote in the March Primary Election, or voted Republican.
To check your registration status or to learn more about the specifics of casting your vote in the May 14 runoff, visit ncsbe.gov.
