Raleigh, NC – In North Carolina, the statewide primary is Tuesday, May 17, 2022. During this election, voters can choose which candidates they prefer to be on the general election ballot in November. The purpose of a primary is to narrow the field of candidates for the general election.
Races on the ballot include:
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
The N.C. General Assembly.
The N.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
Additionally, many voters will find municipal contests on their ballot due to rescheduled municipal elections. This applies to voters in municipalities that delayed their 2021 elections to finalize new electoral districts. This also applies to voters who live in cities and towns that conduct their elections during even-numbered years.
Who Can Vote in the Primary?
Registered voters across the state can vote in the primary. However, voters affiliated with any political party will be given a ballot of candidates for their party. Unaffiliated voters may choose the ballot of candidates for any party primary.
Note: In 2022, the Libertarian Party does not have any primary elections because there are no contested Libertarian nominations for any office. Any Libertarian candidate who properly filed for office will therefore appear as the party’s nominee on the general election ballot in November.
Therefore, unaffiliated voters in the May 17 primary may choose the Democratic or Republican ballot, or, if available, a nonpartisan ballot. Registered Libertarians may only vote a nonpartisan ballot, if available in their jurisdiction since there are no primary contests for that party.
How Winners are Determined
Each candidate that wins in each contest on their party’s ballot will become a nominee. The nominee will appear on the ballot in the general election contest. To become the party’s nominee, the candidate must receive at least 30% of the votes cast plus one.
There May Be a Second Primary
If no candidate reaches the total necessary to become the nominee in a contest on the ballot, the second-place candidate may request a second primary, which would be held on July 26. Voters can revisit this page after the primary to confirm a second primary.
Dates and Deadlines
The voter registration deadline was April 22, 2022, for the statewide primary on May 17, 2022.
To view your sample ballet, please visit: https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/
