Polls are open in North Carolina’s primary. Here’s what you need to know.
By Staff
Up and down the ballot, North Carolina voters face one of the most consequential elections in years.
Not only is the state a presidential battleground, but the U.S. Senate and congressional races could help determine control of the next Congress.
Races for governor, the Council of State and courts will shape the future of the state.
And 170 legislative contests will determine who controls the General Assembly and with it the power to draw state and federal election districts for the next decade.
Here’s our guide to what you need to know about elections in North Carolina.
Matt Sears distributes flyers to voters arriving to cast their ballots in the primary election at Lakewood Elementary School on Tuesday, Mar. 3, 2020, in Durham, N.C. Casey Toth ctoth@newsobserver.com
Do I need a photo ID to vote?
No, you do not need a photo ID to vote in the March primary. On Dec. 31, 2019, a federal district court blocked the state’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. That won’t change until a new order from the court.
From left, Democrats Monika Johnson-Hostler, Deborah Ross and Andrew Terrell are running for the U.S. House in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. Also running are Democrat Ollie Nelson, Republican Alan Swain and Libertarian Jeff Matemu. Photos via campaign websites
2020 candidates for lieutenant governor in North Carolina, starting at top left: state Rep. Chaz Beasley (D), Buddy Bengel (R), former Mount Airy Mayor Deborah Cochran (R), former U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R), Greg Gebhardt (R), state Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley (D), State Superintendent Mark Johnson (R), Ron Newton (D), Mark Robinson (R), former N.C. Rep. Scott Stone (R), Hoke County Commissioner Allen Thomas (D), Bill Toole (D), state Sen. Terry Van Duyn (D), and state Sen. Andy Wells (R).
2020 candidates for NC Superintendent of Public Instruction: Keith Sutton (D), Catherine Truitt (R), D. Craig Horn (R), Jen Mangrum (D), Constance Johnson (D), Michael Maher (D), and James Barrett (D).
Incumbent Sig Hutchinson and challenger Jeremiah Pierce are seeking the Democratic Party nominee for the Wake County Commissioner District 1 seat in the 2020 primary.
The Charlotte Observer and Raleigh News & Observer editorial boards combined in 2019 to provide fuller and more diverse North Carolina opinion content to our readers. The editorial board operates independently from the newsrooms in Charlotte and Raleigh and does not influence the work of the reporting and editing staffs. The combined board is led by N.C. Opinion Editor Peter St. Onge, who is joined in Raleigh by deputy Opinion editor Ned Barnett and in Charlotte by deputy Opinion editor Paige Masten. Board members also include Observer editor Rana Cash and News & Observer editor Nicole Stockdale. For questions about the board or our editorials, email pstonge@charlotteobserver.com.
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