RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections is reminding voters that they may only vote once in an election, even if a candidate they voted for subsequently dropped out of the race.
If you voted during early voting or mailed in an absentee ballot, you may not cast another ballot Tuesday, regardless of whether a candidate you voted for dropped out of a race after you cast your ballot. (See N.C.G.S. § 163-233.1). If you requested an absentee ballot but have not mailed it in, you may vote in person on Election Day instead.
The individual political parties decide how delegates are awarded, including those delegates won by candidates no longer actively campaigning.
By law, North Carolina’s ballots had to be available on Jan. 13, 50 days before the election, for absentee voting purposes. The candidates for president of the United States who appear on primary ballots are the candidates submitted by the political parties for inclusion on the ballot prior to the start of absentee voting.
Additionally, the State Board of Elections nominated presidential candidates Joe Walsh and Bill Weld to be on the Republican Party primary ballot based upon recognition in the state and national media.
Under N.C.G.S. § 163-275(7), voting more than one time during a single election is a Class I felony in North Carolina.
Voting Hours: Polls across North Carolina are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Voters in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to cast a ballot. Lines tend to be longer before and after normal business hours.
Voter ID: In a Dec. 31 order, a federal district court blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. The injunction will remain in place until further order of the court. The North Carolina Court of Appeals also temporarily blocked the law on February 18, 2020.
Coronavirus: With concerns about Coronavirus (COVID-19), the State Board is urging voters to follow the Center for Disease Control’s guidance regarding prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html.
Before you come to the polls, be sure to wash your hands with hot water and soap. Upon leaving the polls, please wash your hands again or use hand sanitizer if available.
Results: Results will post after polls close on election night here: https://er.ncsbe.gov/.
As of 2018, for security purposes, North Carolina does not allow counties to send in results via modem, so it may take some time for results to appear online. After poll workers close the polls, they must physically return results media to their county board of elections office for entering into an air-gapped computer with the results-tabulation software.
Second primary: The second primary statute is § 163-111. The candidate who receives the second-highest vote total in a primary contest may demand a second primary if no candidate receives more than 30 percent of the votes cast for all candidates in that contest. The top two vote-getters would be on the ballot for the second primary. There is no second primary for presidential contests.
A candidate who is apparently eligible to demand a second primary, according to unofficial results, must file a written request with the executive director of the State Board of Elections by noon on the ninth day after the primary, or Thursday, March 12, 2020. Any request would be subject to the certification of official results by the State Board. Requests for a second primary from candidates for state senator or state representative in a single-county district or candidates for county offices must be submitted to the appropriate county board of elections.
If no federal contest requires a second primary, the second primary would be held April 21, 2020. If any federal contest requires a second primary, the second primary for all contests would be held May 12, 2020.
For more about Tuesday’s election, visit ncsbe.gov and follow the State Board on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NCSBE/), Twitter (@NCSBE), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-carolina-state-board-of-elections/) and Instagram (@ncstateboardofelections).
