Overview
In 2021, there are two scheduled filing periods for municipal elections by contest type:
- Filing period #1: Municipalities in which there are no district contests: Noon on Friday, July 2 to noon on Friday, July 16, 2021.
- Filing period #2: Municipalities in which there are district contests: Noon on Monday, July 26 to noon on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.*
*Applies if any office requires residency in a municipal district or ward.
Update
Under Session Law 2021-56, municipalities that have electoral districts will hold their elections in 2022 after redistricting is complete. The law allows a municipality to keep any regularly scheduled at-large elections in 2021 if it notifies the county board of elections of this decision by July 19, 2021. For details, visit our press release, Elections Postponed in Several North Carolina Municipalities.
The filing dates at the 2021 Municipal Candidate Tool capture this update and any changes moving forward.