Types of Elections

Primary Elections

Generally, the primary is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in March.  In 2022 the primary is being held on May 17.

The purpose of a primary is to narrow the field of candidates for the General Election.  Registered voters may vote only in the primary of their declared party.  Unaffiliated voters may choose to participate in any recognized party’s primary, or they may request a non-partisan ballot.  In 2022 there is no Libertarian party primary, nor is there a nonpartisan ballot option in Brunswick County.

17-year-olds can vote in a primary if they will be 18 by the date of the General Election.

To become the party’s nominee, the candidate must win by at least 30% of the vote plus one.

If the number of candidates that file equals the number of seats to be filled, then a candidate is declared their party’s nominee without a primary.  Their name will automatically be placed on the General Election ballot.

Second Primary

The runner-up candidate in a primary can request a second primary election if no candidate earns more than 30% of the vote.

General Elections

In even-numbered years a general election is held to elect a candidate to office on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Registered voters may vote for candidates in any recognized party regardless of the voters’ party affiliation.

Municipal Elections

Municipal elections in North Carolina are held in odd-numbered years on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. All of the municipal elections in Brunswick County are nonpartisan and decided by simple plurality, i.e. the candidate(s) with the most votes wins. There are no municipal primaries or municipal runoff elections in Brunswick County.

To be eligible to vote in a municipal election, the voter must live in that municipality for at least 30 days before Election Day.  Section 2 of the NC Constitution provides that you must reside in an election district for 30 days preceding an election to be entitled to vote.  Because those in unincorporated areas do not reside in a municipal district, they are not eligible to vote in that district.