Overview
Find the upcoming candidate filing periods and filing location information on this page. To learn about the specific candidacy requirements, visit Filing for Candidacy.
Upcoming Filing Periods for 2025-26 Elections
Candidate Filing for Odd-Numbered Year Municipal Elections
The candidate filing period for the 2025 partisan and nonpartisan municipal elections begins at the opening of business on Monday, July 7, 2025, for county boards of elections, and ends at noon on Friday, July 18, 2025, unless otherwise stated in a municipal charter or session law. The deadline to withdraw a notice of candidacy and receive a refund is 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, 2025. Candidates should contact their county board of elections to determine the filing fee for their contest.
Note: All candidates filing a notice of candidacy in a municipal contest will file their form and filing fee at their county board of elections. No notice of candidacy or filing fee should be mailed to the State Board of Elections.
2025 Municipal Election Dates
In 2025, there are three municipal election dates in North Carolina:
- Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 (Partisan primary if necessary):
- Forsyth County: Bethania, Clemmons, Kernersville, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, Walkertown
- Guilford County: Kernersville
- Lee County: Sanford
- Madison County: Hot Springs, Marshall, Mars Hill
- Mecklenburg County: Charlotte
- Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (Second partisan primary if one is requested, nonpartisan primary, or general election if using the election and runoff method): Various municipalities
- Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 (Partisan and nonpartisan general elections, nonpartisan runoff if one is demanded): Various municipalities
Statewide Candidate Filing for the 2026 Primary Election
The candidate filing period for the 2026 primary election begins at noon on Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, and ends at noon on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. The withdrawal deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. Candidates file at the appropriate county board of elections office or the State Board, depending upon the contest. Candidates filing in December can check Filing Fees for more information. The location for filing with the State Board of Elections is to be determined. Please check this page again as the filing period approaches.
2026 Primary Election Date
The 2026 statewide primary election is Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
Filing a Notice of Candidacy
Any person seeking to become a candidate must file a notice of candidacy form.* We are currently updating the forms, which will be posted as soon as they are available at Notice of Candidacy. Candidates filing for odd-numbered year municipal elections should contact their county board of elections to determine the filing fee for their contest. Candidates filing for the 2026 primary election can check Filing Fees for more information.
*Notices of candidacy may not be delivered by surrogates or staff. Only the candidate may file the notice of candidacy and pay the filing fee in person at the appropriate board of elections. Alternatively, a candidate may have the candidate’s signature on the notice of candidacy acknowledged and certified by an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and administer oaths (e.g., a notary), in which case the candidate may mail or deliver by commercial courier service the candidate’s notice of candidacy to the appropriate board of elections. Please note that the candidate is not considered to have filed their mailed notice of candidacy until the appropriate board of elections receives it, provided it was before the end of the filing period.