Early voting begins this week as some voters head back to the polls for a second primary. The May 14 election will finalize the candidates for two statewide offices that were too close to call.
The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor and state auditor will both be on the ballot in Western North Carolina on May 14.
“I think that many people may not even be aware that an election is coming up,” Swain County Board of Elections Director Adam Byrnes said.
In March, 11 Republican candidates vied for the lieutenant governor position. None met the 30% of votes required to advance to the general election.
“We saw it coming when we saw the number of candidates on the ballots,” Brynes said.
Under state law, the top two vote getters, Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill, compete in a second primary to determine who will face Democrat Rachel Hunt and Libertarian Dee Watson in November.
The two top vote getters for the Republican state auditor nomination, Jack Clark and Dave Boliek, will also compete to be on the ballot in November. One will compete against Incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes and Libertarian Bob Drach.
There are also a few contests outside of Western North Carolina.
Brynes explained that any Republicans and unaffiliated voters who live in that district and either didn’t vote in the primary, or who voted the ballot of the party for which the second primary is being held, are eligible to vote. Check your eligibility at the NC Board of Elections.
Brynes explained in an email that county residents who are not registered to vote but became newly eligible to vote between the first and second primaries — can only register and vote on Election Day — not during early voting.
He estimated that close to 7,000 Swain County residents are eligible to vote in this election – that’s out of 9,832 total registered voters in the county.
In-person early voting begins Thursday, April 25, and ends at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. Early voting sites and schedules are available on the board of election’s Early Voting Site Search. Locations and voting hours are also available at Early Voting Sites for the May 14, 2024 Election (PDF).
Here are the important deadlines for the election:
- March 30, 2024: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.
- April 25, 2024: In-person early voting begins.
- May 7, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).
- May 11, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
- May 14, 2024: Election Day.
- May 14, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).
