§ 163-1. Time of regular elections and primaries.
Chapter 163.
Elections and Election Laws.
SUBCHAPTER I. TIME OF PRIMARIES AND ELECTIONS.
Article 1.
Time of Primaries and Elections.
§ 163‑1. Time of regular elections andprimaries.
(a) Unless otherwise provided by law, elections for the officerslisted in the tabulation contained in this section shall be conducted in allelection precincts of the territorial units specified in the column headed"Jurisdiction" on the dates indicated in the column headed "Dateof Election." Unless otherwise provided by law, officers shall serve forthe terms specified in the column headed "Term of Office."
(b) On Tuesday next after the first Monday in May preceding eachgeneral election to be held in November for the officers referred to insubsection (a) of this section, there shall be held in all election precinctswithin the territory for which the officers are to be elected a primaryelection for the purpose of nominating candidates for each political party inthe State for those offices, and nonpartisan candidates as to offices electedunder the provisions of Article 25 of this Chapter.
(c) On Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in theyear 1968, and every four years thereafter, or on such days as the Congress ofthe United States shall direct, an election shall be held in all of theelection precincts of the State for the election of electors of President andVice‑President of the United States. The number of electors to be chosenshall be equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to whichthis State may be entitled. Presidential electors shall not be nominated byprimary election; instead, they shall be nominated in a State convention ofeach political party as defined in G.S. 163‑96 unless otherwise providedby the plan of organization of the political party; provided, that in the caseof a candidate for President of the United States who has qualified to have hisname printed on the general election ballot as an unaffiliated candidate underG.S. 163‑122, that candidate shall nominate presidential electors. Onepresidential elector shall be nominated from each congressional district andtwo from the state‑at‑large, and in addition, the State conventionof each party and the unaffiliated candidate shall each nominate first andsecond alternate electors who shall serve if their slate is elected as providedby G.S. 163‑209 and if there is a vacancy as provided by G.S. 163‑210.
(d) If primaries for the State Senate or State House ofRepresentatives are temporarily moved from the date provided in subsection (b)of this section for any election year, all primaries shall be held on the sameday.
OFFICE JURISDICTION DATE OF ELECTION TERMOF OFFICE
Governor State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
thefirst Monday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Lieutenant State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
Governor the firstMonday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Secretary of State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
State the firstMonday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Auditor State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
thefirst Monday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Treasurer State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
thefirst Monday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Superinten‑ State Tuesdaynext after Four years, from
dent of the firstMonday first day of
Public inNovember 1968 January next
Instruction and everyfour after election
yearsthereafter
Attorney State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
General the firstMonday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Commissioner State Tuesday next after Fouryears, from
of thefirst Monday first day of
Agriculture in November1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Commissioner State Tuesday next after Fouryears, from
of Labor the firstMonday first day of
inNovember 1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
Commissioner State Tuesday next after Fouryears, from
of thefirst Monday first day of
Insurance in November1968 January next
andevery four after election
yearsthereafter
All other State Tuesday nextafter Four years, from
State the firstMonday first day of
officers inNovember 1968 January next
whose terms and every four afterelection
last for yearsthereafter
four years
All other State Tuesday nextafter Two years, from
State the firstMonday first day of
officers inNovember 1968 January next
whose terms and every two afterelection
are not yearsthereafter
specified
by law
State Senator Senatorial Tuesday next after Twoyears
district the firstMonday
inNovember 1968
andevery two
yearsthereafter
Member of Representative Tuesday next after Twoyears
State House district the first Monday
of Repre‑ inNovember 1968
sentatives and everytwo
yearsthereafter
Justices and State At the regular Eightyears,
Judges of the election for fromfirst day
Appellate members ofthe of January next
Division GeneralAssembly after election
immediatelypreceding
thetermination of
eachregular term
Judges of the Superior At the regular Eightyears,
superior Court election for fromfirst day
courts District members ofthe of January next
GeneralAssembly after election
immediatelypreceding
thetermination of
eachregular term
Judges of the District court At the regular Fouryears, from
district district electionfor the first day in
courts members ofthe January next
GeneralAssembly after election
immediatelypreceding
the termination
of eachregular
term
District District At theregular Four years, from
Attorney Attorney election for firstday of
district membersof the January next
GeneralAssembly after election
immediatelypreceding
thetermination
of eachregular
term
Members of Congressional Tuesday next after Twoyears
House of district, the firstMonday
Representa‑ except as in November1968
tives of modified by and every two
the G.S. 163‑104 yearsthereafter
Congress of
the United
States
United States State At the regular Sixyears
Senators electionimmed‑
iatelypreceding
thetermination
of eachregular
term
County County At the regular Twoyears, from
commissioners election for thefirst
membersof the Monday in
GeneralAssembly December next
immediatelypreceding after election
thetermination of
eachregular term
Clerk of County At the regular Fouryears, from
superior electionfor the first
court members ofthe Monday in
GeneralAssembly December next
immediatelypreceding after election
thetermination
of eachregular term
Register of County At the regular Fouryears, from
deeds electionfor the first
membersof the Monday in
GeneralAssembly December next
immediately afterelection
precedingthe
terminationof
eachregular term
Sheriff County At the regular Fouryears, from
electionfor the first
membersof the Monday in
GeneralAssembly December next
immediately afterelection
precedingthe
terminationof
eachregular term
Coroner County At the regular Fouryears, from
electionfor the first
membersof the Monday in
GeneralAssembly December next
immediately afterelection
precedingthe
terminationof
aregular term
County County Tuesday nextafter Two years, from
treasurer the firstMonday the first
(in inNovember 1968 Monday in
counties in and everytwo December next
which yearsthereafter after election
elected)
All other County Tuesday nextafter Two years, from
county the firstMonday the first
officers to in November1968 Monday in
be elected and everytwo December next
by the yearsthereafter after election
people
(Const., art. 4, s. 24; 1901, c. 89, ss. 1‑4,73, 74, 77; Rev., ss. 4293, 4294, 4296‑4299; 1915, c. 101, s. 1; 1917, c.218; C.S., ss. 5914, 5915, 5917‑5920, 6018; 1935, c. 362; 1939, c. 196;1943, c. 134, s. 4; 1947, c. 505, s. 1; 1951, c. 1009, s. 2; 1953, c. 1191, s.1; 1967, c. 775, s. 1; cc. 1264, 1271; 1969, c. 44, s. 80; 1971, c. 170; 1973,c. 793, s. 93; 1977, c. 265, s. 1; c. 661, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c.782, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 738, s. 2; 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 9, s.2; 2003‑434, 1st Ex. Sess., s. 6; 2004‑127, s. 12; 2005‑425,s. 3.2.)