CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Americans will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 6, to elect members of the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, as well as various state, local and municipal seats. There are also a host of statewide and local ballot questions.
Here's what you should know before you go.
Which races will be on my ballot?
This is a full list of the candidates by county running for office in the state of North Carolina. Here is the entire list of the candidates by county vying for seats in South Carolina.
If you live in North Carolina, this is where you confirm your registration and preview your sample ballot. If you live in South Carolina, you can find that information here.
When and where can I vote before Election Day?
Time is up in the Carolinas. However, you may check out how many people cast their ballots early in Mecklenburg County.
When and where can I vote on Election Day?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 6. All polling locations in North Carolina will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Any voter in line as of 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Before you go, you should verify you're registered at the correct address.
Polling hours in the state of South Carolina are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re not familiar with your precinct, you may look up the address. You will need a photo ID to vote in the Palmetto State. Here is a list of acceptable identification cards.
If you don't have any of these forms of identification, you may vote with a provisional ballot after signing an affidavit stating you have a reasonable impediment to obtaining a photo ID.
A photo ID is not required for the upcoming general election in North Carolina. In fact, that’s one of the amendments on the ballot in the Tar Heel State.
What are the amendments in North Carolina?
Require photographic identification to vote
This amendment requires you to show photographic identification to a poll-worker before you can vote in person in North Carolina. It does not apply to absentee voting.
The legislature would make laws providing the details of acceptable and unacceptable forms of photographic identification after passage of the proposed amendment.
The legislature would be authorized to establish exceptions to the requirement to present photographic identification before voting. However, it is not required to make any exceptions.
There are no further details at this time on how voters could acquire valid photographic identification for the purposes of voting. There is no official estimate of how much this proposal would cost if it is approved.
This amendment would acknowledge the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife, and to use traditional methods to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife in North Carolina. The amendment does not define “traditional methods.”
This right would be subject to laws passed by the legislature and rules (i) to promote wildlife conservation and management and (ii) to preserve the future of hunting and fishing.
If it passes, the amendment will not affect any laws regarding trespassing, property rights or eminent domain. The amendment does not address its effect on local laws concerning public safety or on commercial hunting and fishing.
The amendment would also establish that public hunting and fishing are a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.
Today, victims have legal rights if the crime was a major felony, certain domestic violence cases, or one of several other kinds of serious crimes in North Carolina.
The amendment would expand the types of offenses that trigger victims’ rights to include all crimes against the person and felony property crimes. These rights would also apply in these cases if committed by juveniles.
This amendment directs the legislature to create a procedure, by motion to the court, for a victim to assert his or her rights. Nothing in this proposed amendment creates a claim against the State or allows the victim to challenge any decision the court makes.
The defendant may not use failure to provide these rights as a ground for relief in any civil or criminal matter.
The public fiscal note that accompanied this legislation estimates that these changes to our justice system will cost about $11 million per year.
The current maximum personal and corporate income tax rate in the North Carolina Constitution is 10 percent. This proposed amendment makes the new limit seven percent.
This proposed amendment does not reduce your current taxes. It does not change the current individual income tax rate of 5.499 percent, and it does not change the current corporate income tax rate of three percent. Instead, it limits how much the state income tax rate could go up.
This proposed amendment applies only to state income taxes. It does not affect sales taxes, property taxes, or federal taxes.
This proposed constitutional amendment would create a new process for filling judicial vacancies. The legislature would play the dominant role in this process.
In North Carolina, the people have a constitutional right to elect judges. Currently, when a judge leaves office before the end of his or her term, the governor appoints a new judge.
In most instances, the person who is appointed by the governor holds office for less than 2 years, until the next general election. This proposed amendment would take away the governor’s current authority to select a replacement judge.
The amendment would give the legislature most of the control over judicial appointments.
Party leaders in legislature to control ethics and elections board appointments; eliminate nonpartisan representation on board
Today, North Carolina has a nine-member bipartisan board of ethics and elections to administer ethics and elections law.
The governor appoints eight of nine members of this board from nominees provided by the two largest political parties. The governor appoints the ninth member, who is not a member of a political party, from nominations provided by the other eight members.
The legislature passed a law in 2017 establishing an eight-member board to administer elections, ethics, and lobbying laws. The North Carolina Supreme Court struck that law down as unconstitutional because it took executive authority from the governor. The 2017 law also lacked representation of unaffiliated voters.
This proposed amendment would overturn that Supreme Court decision. It would reduce the current board from nine members to eight by removing the only member who represents unaffiliated voters.
What are the amendments in South Carolina?
Constitutional amendment: Appoint education superintendent
If approved, voters in South Carolina will decide that from now on, the state education superintendent will be appointed, rather than elected. A "yes" vote will allow for them to be appointed, a "no" means keep things the way they are.
What are the main races in North Carolina?
North Carolina voters will elect U.S. Representatives in all 13 of its districts. One of the biggest races is between Mark Harris (R) and Dan McCready (D) for the 9th congressional district.
What are main races in South Carolina?
Incumbent Henry McMaster (R) faces challenger James Smith (D) in the South Carolina gubernatorial race. All seven of the state’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs as well.
Which issues are important to people in the Carolinas?
According to Google Trends, the top two issues being searched by residents in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina are health care and immigration (as of Friday, November 2).
- Health care (48 percent)
- Immigration (32 percent)
- Abortion (13 percent)
- Tariffs (five percent)
- Guns (two percent)
The same can be said for folks in York County, South Carolina, according to Google Trends (as of Friday, November 2):
- Health care (47 percent)
- Immigration (31 percent)
- Abortion (15 percent)
- Tariffs (five percent)
- Guns (two percent)
What is the Election Protection Hotline?
A free, nonpartisan hotline is available through Election Day. By calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline, you may check your registration status, find your polling location, and get answers to other questions. You may also text OUR VOTE to 97779 to get connected with a volunteer.
Where can I find NBC Charlotte’s Election Day coverage?
Stay with NBC Charlotte on air, at wcnc.com and the mobile app for live results and team coverage of the races in the Carolinas on Election Day. You can also watch the NBC Charlotte Decision 2018 Special, part 1 and part 2, which aired online Monday evening.
