All North Carolina registered Republicans and some unaffiliated voters are eligible to vote in second primary elections to be held Tuesday, May 14, in all 100 counties.
Registered voters can find out if they are eligible through the State Board of Elections’ Voter Search tool. Simply type in your name to pull up your voter record, then scroll down to the “Your Sample Ballot” section. If you’re eligible, a link to your sample ballot will appear next to the election date – “05/14/2024 SECOND PRIMARY.”
Absentee ballots are already being mailed to eligible voters who requested them. In-person early voting begins Thursday, April 25. For county-by-county early voting sites and schedules, see Early Voting Sites. Second primary Election Day is May 14.
“We encourage all eligible voters to participate in the second primaries, which will help determine who will be the Republican nominees for several contests on the Nov. 5 general election ballot,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections.
Second primaries are being held for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor between Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill; the Republican nomination for state auditor between Jack Clark and Dave Boliek; and for the Republican nomination for U.S. House District 13 between Kelly Daughtry and Brad Knott. House District 13 includes all of Caswell, Person, Franklin, Lee, Harnett and Johnston counties, as well as parts of Wake and Granville counties.
In each instance, the second-place candidate in the March 5 primary election requested a second primary after no candidate received more than 30% of the votes in that contest.
The winners of the second primaries will be the Republican nominees on the November 5 general election ballot.
Who is Eligible to Vote in 2024 Second Primaries?
All registered Republicans in North Carolina may vote in the statewide contests for lieutenant governor and state auditor. Also eligible for those contests are unaffiliated voters who either didn’t vote or voted the Republican ballot in the March 5 primary.
All registered Republicans who live in U.S. House District 13 are eligible to vote in that second primary, along with unaffiliated voters who live in that congressional district and either didn’t vote or voted the Republican ballot in the March 5 primary.
Registration of new voters is not permitted between the first and second primaries. This means same-day registration is not available during early voting for the second primary. However, individuals who become eligible to vote between the primary and second primary and who are otherwise eligible to vote in the second primary may register and vote on the day of the second primary — May 14.
County-Level Contests
Additional contests will be on the ballot for eligible voters in Gaston and Orange counties. In Gaston County only, a second primary will be held for the Republican nomination for the South Point Township District on the Gaston County Board of Commissioners. The candidates are Jim Bailey and Ronnie Worley. The winner will move on to the November general election.
Finally, in Orange County, a runoff election will determine the third seat on the Orange County Schools Board of Education. The candidates are Jennifer Moore and Bonnie Hauser. The school board runoff election is not a partisan contest. All Orange County voters in the Orange County Schools district are eligible to vote in the school board runoff election. Voters in the Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools district are not eligible to vote in the school board runoff election.
Second Primary Dates and Deadlines
Here are voter dates and deadlines for the 2024 second primary election in North Carolina and the Orange County runoff:
- March 30, 2024: County boards of elections began mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.
- April 25, 2024: In-person early voting begins.
- May 7, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.)*
- May 11, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
- May 14, 2024: Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- May 14, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.)*
Find other important dates for the election on our web calendar: Voter Dates & Deadlines.
*Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters.