N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-1

Current through Session Law 2024-53

Section 163-1 - Time of regular elections and primaries

(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, elections for the officers listed in the tabulation contained in this section shall be conducted in all election precincts of the territorial units specified in the column headed "Jurisdiction" on the dates indicated in the column headed "Date of Election." Unless otherwise provided by law, officers shall serve for the terms specified in the column headed "Term of Office."

(b) On Tuesday next after the first Monday in March preceding each general election to be held in November for the officers referred to in subsection (a) of this section, there shall be held in all election precincts within the territory for which the officers are to be elected a primary election for the purpose of nominating candidates for each political party in the State for those offices.

(c) On Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in the year 1968, and every four years thereafter, or on such days as the Congress of the United States shall direct, an election shall be held in all of the election precincts of the State for the election of electors of President and Vice-President of the United States. The number of electors to be chosen shall be equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which this State may be entitled. Presidential electors shall not be nominated by primary election; instead, they shall be nominated in a State convention of each political party as defined in G.S.163-96 unless otherwise provided by the plan of organization of the political party; provided, that in the case of a candidate for President of the United States who has qualified to have his name printed on the general election ballot as an unaffiliated candidate under G.S.163-122, that candidate shall nominate presidential electors. One presidential elector shall be nominated from each congressional district and two from the state-at-large, and in addition, the State convention of each party and the unaffiliated candidate shall each nominate first and second alternate electors who shall serve if their slate is elected as provided by G.S.163-209 and if there is a vacancy as provided by G.S.163-210.

(d) If primaries for the State Senate or State House of Representatives are temporarily moved from the date provided in subsection (b) of this section for any election year, all primaries shall be held on the same day.

OFFICE	JURISDICTION	DATE OF ELECTION	TERM OF OFFICE
Governor	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Lieutenant Governor	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Secretary of State	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Auditor	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Treasurer	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Superintendent of Public Instruction	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Attorney General	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Commissioner of Agriculture	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Commissioner of Labor	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Commissioner of Insurance	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
All other State officers whose terms last for four years	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every four years thereafter	Four years, from first day of January next after election
All other State officers whose terms are not specified by law	State	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years, from first day of January next after election
State Senator	Senatorial district	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years
Member of State House of Representatives	Representative district	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years
Justices and Judges of the Appellate Division	State	Except as provided in Article 1A of Chapter 7A of the General Statutes, at the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Eight years, from first day of January next after election
Judges of the superior courts	Superior Court District	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Eight years, from first day of January after next election
Judges of the district courts	District court district	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Four years, from the first day in January next after election
District Attorney	District Attorney district	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Four years, from first day of January next after election
Members of House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States	Congressional district, except as modified by G.S. 163-104	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years
United States Senators	State	At the regular election immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Six years
County Commissioners	County	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Two years, from the first Monday in December next after election
Clerk of superior court	County	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Four years, from the first Monday in December next after election
Register of Deeds	County	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Four years, from the first Monday in December next after election
Sheriff	County	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of each regular term	Four years, from the first Monday in December next after election
Coroner	County	At the regular election for members of the General Assembly immediately preceding the termination of a regular term	Four years, from the first Monday in December next after election
County treasurer (in counties in which elected)	County	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years, from the first Monday in December next after election
All other county officers to be elected by the people	County	Tuesday next after the first Monday in November 1968 and every two years thereafter	Two years, from the first Monday in December next after election

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-1

Const., art. 4, s. 24; 1901, c. 89, ss. 1-4, 73, 74, 77; Rev., ss. 4293, 4294, 4296-4299; 1915, c. 101, s. 1; 1917, c. 218; C.S., ss. 5914, 5915, 5917-5920, 6018; 1935, c. 362; 1939, c. 196; 1943, c. 134, s. 4; 1947, c. 505, s. 1; 1951, c. 1009, s. 2; 1953, c. 1191, s. 1; 1967, c. 775, s. 1; cc. 1264, 1271; 1969, c. 44, s. 80; 1971, c. 170; 1973, c. 793, s. 93; 1977, c. 265, s. 1; c. 661, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 782, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 738, s. 2; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 9, s. 2; 2003-434, 1st Ex. Sess., s. 6; 2004-127, s. 12; 2005-425, s. 3.2; 2015-66, s. 3; 2017-3, s. 2; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-21, s. 1; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).