CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Another round of elections is happening in July, and citizens in Charlotte and three other metro cities can cast their ballots early.
Charlotte, Hickory and Mooresville are holding their general elections for local office on July 26. That same day, Statesville has runoff elections for local races as well. While voters can head to the polls on that day if they wish, early voting for these elections and the runoff is also an option.
One-stop, in-person early voting opens up on July 7 and runs through 3 p.m. on July 23. For citizens who need to vote absentee, the deadline to submit the appropriate request form is July 19. Election Day for these races is also the deadline to return absentee ballots to local elections boards.
What local races are happening?
Charlotte's general election on July 26 is focused on the mayor's office and the city council. All seven district seats and all four at-large seats are up for grabs, with both Democrats and Republicans vying for most of them. The full list can be found on pages 8 and 9 of this document.
It's a similar story in Hickory. Residents in both Burke and Catawba counties will vote for mayor, along with city council seats in wards 4, 5, and 6. Hank Guess and Allan Hoover are going up for mayor, while David L. Williams runs alone for Ward 4. Jill Patton is also running alone for Ward 6. Ward 5 sees Chris Simmons and David P. Zagaroli facing off for that seat.
In Mooresville, citizens will vote for town commissioners for wards 3 and 4. There are two candidates in Ward 3: Tommy DeWeese and Kevin Kasel. In Ward 4, Lisa M. Qualls is the only one running.
Statesville residents only have one election on July 26: the runoff for the mayor's seat, which sees Constantine H. Kutteh and Brian Summers facing off for it.
Where do I vote?
Anyone can check their voter registration and nearby polling places with the North Carolina State Board of Elections' (NCSBE) online tool. This also allows citizens to check out sample ballots before heading to the polls. The NCSBE also has a tool to help voters find their nearest one-stop voting sites for early voting; just enter the county you're registered in and a map and list are generated.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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