2024 North Carolina primary elections: Live results
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in North Carolina will decide a full slate of primaries Tuesday, including contested races for governor, U.S. House and other offices, not to mention the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.
President Joe Biden is the only candidate listed on the Democratic primary ballot, although voters have the option of selecting “No preference” in either contest. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson had attempted to get on the ballot, but the State Board of Elections decided in January to finalize the candidate lists provided to them by the state parties.
Former President Donald Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley are the only active candidates on the Republican ballot. A voter had attempted to block Trump from appearing on the ballot, saying he was disqualified for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, but the elections board dismissed the challenge in December.
Biden and Trump are the overwhelming front-runners in their bids for a second term. Super Tuesday’s massive delegate haul from more than a dozen states could put them within reach of clinching their parties’ nominations. Trump could reach that milestone as early as March 12; for Biden, it’s March 19.
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Also on the ballot Tuesday are contested primaries to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. State Attorney General Josh Stein, former state Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan and three other candidates will compete on the Democratic ballot. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, state Treasurer Dale Folwell and attorney Bill Graham will compete for the Republican nomination. Stein has Cooper’s backing, while Robinson won Trump’s endorsement.
Primaries are also being held for other statewide offices such as lieutenant governor, attorney general and treasurer, as well as for the state Senate and state House, and the U.S. House, including five districts where the incumbent is not seeking another term.
Nonpresidential races where no candidate receives a single vote over 30% of the total voteshare may go to a May 14 runoff if the second-place finisher requests it.
Here’s a look at what to expect on election night.
Election Day
The North Carolina presidential and state primaries will be held on Super Tuesday, March 5. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET.
What's on the ballot
The Associated Press will provide coverage for the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries as well as key state races. Biden is the only Democratic presidential candidate on the ballot, but he does face a “No Preference” ballot option. The Republican ballot options include Trump, Haley, “No Preference” and former candidates Ryan Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy. Among the notable state races are the Democratic and Republican primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and treasurer, the Republican primary for secretary of state, the Democratic primary for attorney general as well as various primaries for U.S. House, state Senate and state House.
Who can vote
Registered party members may only vote in their own party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may vote in any primary.
Delegate allocation rules
There are 116 pledged Democratic delegates at stake in North Carolina, and they’re awarded according to the national party’s standard rules. Twenty-five at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, as are 15 PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s 14 congressional districts have a combined 76 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district.
Republicans have 74 delegates at stake, 32 of which are statewide delegates awarded proportionally to candidates who receive more than 20% of the statewide vote. Each of the 14 congressional districts awards three delegates. If the leading candidate reaches 60% in a congressional district — or if only one candidate surpasses 20% of the vote — all three delegates go to the candidate with the most votes. If more than one candidate receives 20% but no candidate surpasses 60% in a congressional district, the candidate with the most votes receives two delegates while the runner-up receives one.
