Before we can decide who actually gets to hold an elected office, we have to hold a primary election to narrow the field of candidates. This year, that primary is Tuesday, March 3.
Preparing to vote in the primary means brushing up on who the candidates are and figuring out how multiple people from the same political party differ in their viewpoints, experience and leadership capabilities.
Here are some dates to keep in mind as we head to March 3.
Voter registration
First, make sure you are registered to vote. You can do that by going to the state Board of Elections web site. The reason to verify you’re registered is that the Trump administration sued North Carolina last year claiming more than 100,000 people did not have numeric identifiers – either their driver’s license number or partial Social Security number – on their registration. A 2004 federal law requires such information be provided when voters register.
The state has contacted people to inform them to update their information, but not everyone has done so. If you aren’t registered with the identifying numbers, you can still vote – but it will be a provisional ballot and won’t be counted until the state verifies your identity.
Friday, Feb. 6 is the deadline to register to vote.
Early voting
You can start voting in person from 9 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 until 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.
Early voting happens at special polling places, and this year, the state Board of Elections decided to cut back on some early voting sites, most notably in Jackson and Madison Counties. One of the advantages to voting during this period is that you can go to any polling place in your county; you do not have to go to a designated site as you do on Election Day.
Be sure to use the state’s “Early Voting Site Finder” to locate where you can cast an early ballot.
And … don’t forget that you are now required to have a photo ID with you when you vote – no matter whether you’re voting early or casting your ballot on March 3. So make sure you bring your photo ID with you. Helpful hint: if you don’t have a voter ID, the state will provide one for free (a very good price, if you ask me).
There is also the option to vote by mail, which requires sending a request to the BOE for an absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Feb. 17 at 5 p.m.
How primaries work
The general purpose of a primary is to allow voters to determine who gets to compete in the general election. In North Carolina, if no candidate receives at least 30% of the vote, candidates can apply for a runoff election, or second primary.
When you go to vote, in most cases, you have to choose which party’s ballot you will use. In North Carolina, unaffiliated voters can choose any party’s ballot, but voters who are already registered as a Democrat or Republican can only vote on their chosen party’s ballot.
So, if you are a Democrat, you go with the Democratic ballot. If you are a Democrat, but want to vote on the GOP ballot, you have to switch party affiliation at least 25 days before the election.
For most of Western North Carolina, the ballots and candidates are partisan. But Asheville is a special case (does this surprise anyone?).
Asheville’s City Council primary
Just how special is Asheville? Well, for one thing there are 20 people vying for City Council, including the three people who hope to hold onto their seat. That’s a very large field to choose from. But to add to the fun, Asheville’s primary is non-partisan, meaning when you vote you are choosing any candidate — no party affiliation identified.
Of the 20 candidates hoping to land a seat on Council, only the top six vote-getters in the primary will move on to the general election in November. Ashevillians can vote for only three candidates in the primary because — per North Carolina Statute 163-294 — voters cannot choose more names than there are open seats. There are three seats open on City Council, so you can only vote for three people.
Here’s a fun tidbit to know for any election, including the primaries: If there is a tie between the top vote-getters, then the local Board of Elections “shall determine the winner by lot.”
What does that mean? Well, it’s kind of like it sounds ... the BOEs could, literally, draw lots to determine the winner. They could also — as happened at least twice in Sylva — flip a coin.
