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When Wake County residents show up to vote in North Carolina’s primary election on March 3 (or during early voting in February), they’ll receive a long ballot—ranging from presidential hopefuls at the top on down to district court judges, two county commissioner seats and the county’s register of deeds—with plenty of candidates running for offices in between. We’ve compiled a list of all primary contests that will appear on ballots for residents in Wake County, as well as a step-by-step guide on how to vote. For more information on who’s running for what office, check out ncsbe.gov.
How Do I Register to Vote?
First, you have to be eligible. This means you are:
• 18 years old
• a U.S. citizen
• a resident of the county of your registration for 30 days prior to the election on March 3
If you are 17, but will be 18 on the day of the general election on November 10, you are eligible to vote in the March 3 primary.
To register, fill out a voter registration application (download at ncsbe.gov) and mail it to the Wake County Board of Elections at 1200 N. New Hope Road, Raleigh NC, 27610 on or before February 7. The board of elections will mail you a voter registration card within one to two weeks. Or, register to vote during the early voting period.
When Is Early Voting?
Early voting runs from February 13- 29.
During early voting, voters in Wake County may vote at any one-stop voting station countywide (not just in their assigned precinct) and they may register to vote at the polling station on the same day if they are eligible and can prove their residence in Wake County.
You DO NOT need to bring photo ID to early voting if you are already registered to vote.
If you want to register to vote, bring a North Carolina driver license or other government-issued photo ID with your name and current address and a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document showing your name and address. If you’re a student, a college photo ID card paired with proof of college residence will work.
Most early voting locations are open during business hours on weekdays and some are open for limited hours for voting on the weekend. Find out more at wakegov.com/elections.
How Do I Vote on Election Day?
If you are registered to vote, you can look up your assigned precinct and polling place at vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/. You can also see a sample of what your ballot will look like (races and candidates will appear on your ballot for the primary depending on whether you’re registered as a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or unaffiliated).
On Election Day, show up at your polling place. As long as you’re registered to vote, you DO NOT need to bring a photo ID on Election Day.
If you’re in line before polls close at 7:30 p.m., you will, by law, be given the opportunity to cast a ballot.
March 3 Primary Contests, Wake County*
| Office | Parties with primaries |
| U.S. President | Democrat, Republican, Green and Libertarian and unaffiliated |
| U.S. Senate | 1 Seat, D & R primaries |
| U.S. House of Representatives District 2 | D only |
| U.S. House of Representatives District 4 | D & R |
| NC Governor | D & R |
| NC Lieutenant Governor | D & R |
| NC Attorney General | R only |
| NC Auditor | D & R |
| NC Commissioner of Agriculture | D only |
| NC Commissioner of Insurance | R only |
| NC Commissioner of Labor | R only |
| NC Secretary of State | R only |
| NC Superintendent of Public Instruction | D & R |
| NC Treasurer | D only |
| NC State Senate District 18 | D & R |
| NC State House of Representatives District 33 | D only |
| NC State House of Representatives District 35 | R only |
| NC State House of Representatives District 36 | R only |
| NC State House of Representatives District 37 | R only |
| NC State House of Representatives District 38 | D only |
| NC District Court Judge District 10B Seat 03 | D only |
| NC District Court Judge District 10F Seat 03 | D only |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 01 | D only |
| Wake County Board of Commissioners District 03 | D only |
| Wake County Register of Deeds | D only |
*Some contests do not feature primaries for both D and R parties
A New Rep. for Raleigh
Come November, most Wake County residents will have a new representative in Congress. Following a state court ruling in the fall that found that Republican-drawn state maps were unconstitutionally partisan, lawmakers redrew congressional lines in the state that are likely to give Democrats an additional two seats in the U.S. House (Republicans currently hold 10 of the state’s 13 seats). The new map altered U.S. House District 2 (Rep. George Holding currently holds the seat) to encompass practically all of Raleigh, a traditionally Democratic stronghold that Rep. David Price in District 4 has long represented. Holding announced that he will not run for re-election this year. One Republican, Alan Swain, has filed to run for the seat and four Democrats have filed to run, meaning only the Democrats will have a primary contest for the seat in March. Democrats who have filed to run for the seat include attorney and former NC House member Deborah Ross, nonprofit leader and three-term Wake School Board member Monika Johnson-Hostler, entrepreneur Andy Terrell and former Marine and retired teacher Ollie Nelson. Don’t get used to the new map, though; North Carolina’s congressional lines will be redrawn again following the 2020 Census. The current map will be used for this single election only and North Carolinians will elect U.S. representatives in new districts in 2022.
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