Election Hub
2021 Elections
Welcome to The Chamber's Election Hub, your one-stop-shop to demystify the elections and help you and your colleagues know who and what is on your ballot. Visit this page in the coming weeks for more information on the 2021 election season, which will include races for mayor, town council, and school board seats.
Common Questions
Q: How do I register to vote in NC?
- Registering to vote in NC is easy and can be done: 1) online through the DMV, 2) by mail, or 3) in-person at early voting sites with proof of residency.
Q: How do I run for office in NC?
- Becoming a candidate for office in NC requires three steps: 1) meet general candidate requirements (can include age minimum and residency requirements), 2) file notice of candidacy, and 3) pay any filing fees. Learn more through the State and Orange County Board of Elections.
Q: How do I learn about candidates on my ballot in NC?
- Once available, access your sample ballot and learn more about each candidate (watch views and read survey responses) through Vote411.org, an extremely helpful, non-partisan resource provided by the League of Women Voters.
Q: How do I vote in NC? There are three ways to vote:
- Absentee: NC has a vote by mail process, called absentee voting. No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in NC, but you must request your absentee ballot before the deadline.
- Early: NC offers in-person Early Voting with several site options and times. Same-Day Voter Registration is available during the Early Voting period at all NC Early Voting sites.
- Election Day: NC voters may vote in-person on Election Day at their assigned polling place.
Q: Who do I contact if I have more questions?
- For additional information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) or the NC State Board of Elections. You may also contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
Chamber Election Activation
The Chamber engages in the Primary and General Elections to ensure our members and friends have the information they need about the candidates and the process before they go to the polls.
Annually, The Chamber: 1) activates the Election Hub to share timely information, 2) hosts candidate and elected official event(s), and 3) coordinates videos through the (un)forum and conducts survey(s) to reveal candidate positions on issues that matter to the local business community.
For questions about the Chamber's election activation, contact Chamber Vice President of External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at (919) 696-0781 (cell) or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
Past Elections
2020 General Election
Voters in Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro had dozens of candidates for federal, state, and county races on their ballots in the 2020 Elections. The Chamber activated to ensure members and friends had the information they need about the candidates and the process before they go to the polls, and shared answers to the following common questions.
Common Questions
1) How do I Vote? There are three ways to vote:
- Absentee: NC has a vote by mail process, called absentee voting. No special circumstance or reason is needed to vote by mail in NC, but you must request your absentee ballot before Oct 27.
- Early: NC offers in-person Early Voting from Oct 15 to Oct 31 with several site options and times. Same-Day Voter Registration is available during the Early Voting period at all Early Voting sites.
- Election Day: NC voters may vote in-person on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020) at their assigned polling place.
2) Who is on my ballot? There are dozens of candidates for federal, state, and county races on your ballot this election. Access your sample ballot.
3) How do I quickly learn about each candidate?
- Watch videos and read responses from candidates across nearly every race through Vote411.org, an extremely helpful, non-partisan resource provided by the League of Women Voters.
- Dive deeper with candidates for Orange County Commissioner. Review their responses to The Chamber's candidate survey, which gauges their position on twelve matters that matter to the local business community, and click their names (below) to watch their quick videos explaining what they will do to make Orange County a great place to start and grow a business: Mark Dorosin | Amy Fowler | Jean Hamilton | Renee Price
4) How do I Register to Vote? Registering to vote is easy and can be done: 1) online through the DMV, 2) by mail, or 3) in-person at Early Voting sites with proof of residency. *Note: If would like to vote in the 2020 General Election and are not yet registered, then the remaining option is to register in-person using same-day registration in your county during early voting (Oct 15-31, 2020) (source).
5) Who do I contact if I have more questions? For additional information, contact your County Board of Elections (Orange County, Chatham County, and Durham County) or the NC State Board of Elections. You may also contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
2020 Primary Elections
What: Primary elections are a process in the Spring for voters to indicate their preference for a party's candidate in the Fall general election. Primaries are often punctuated with little interest and low turnout, but in Orange County (NC), where many more Democrats are registered than Republicans, the winner of the spring primary almost always wins the general election.
When & Where: The 2020 Primary Election was on March 3, 2020 and early in-person voting began Feb 13, 2020. To find out where and when to vote in-person, simply type your address into this search engine (determines your polling place based on your precinct).
Who: See the list of candidates who filed to run for office in Orange, Chatham, and Durham Counties. There are several seats in-play, including:
- (County) Board of County Commissioners in Orange (4 seats), Chatham (2 seats), and Durham (5 seats) Counties, and Orange County Schools Board of Education (3 seats)
- (District) NC District Court Judge District 15B (4 seats)
- (State) NC General Assembly, Governor, NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and many more
- (Federal) US Congress and President
Meet the Candidates: The Chamber offered several ways to get to know the candidates on your ballot:
- In-person events: The Chamber hosted Eggs with Elected Officials + Candidates on Feb 14, and the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce hosted "Face Time with Your Candidates" on Feb 26.
- Via video: Tune into the (un)forum 2020 to watch candidates share what they will do to make our community a great place to start and grow a business
- In writing: Review candidate survey responses to questions on matters that matter to the local business community.
More: The following are helpful links to better navigate the election process:
- Discover answers to common questions and register to vote (vote.org).
- Visit the Orange County Board of Elections, Chatham County Board of Elections, and Durham County Board of Elections, and the NC State Board of Elections for more information.
- Contact Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at (919) 967-7075 (office), (919) 696-0781 (cell), or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
- What: 2019 Elections - Review 2019 Election Results
- When: Election Day was Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019; early, in-person voting began Wednesday, Oct. 16th (review the 2019 election calendar)
- Who: The Chamber tracked the following races, which had 27 candidates running for 17 seats (see who filed to run):
- Chapel Hill Mayor (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Hemminger)
- Chapel Hill Town Council (4 seats; 7 candidates; Incumbents Anderson, Oates, and Parker)
- Carrboro Mayor (1 seat; 1 candidate; Incumbent Lavelle)
- Carrboro Board of Aldermen (3 seats; 6 candidates; Incumbents Seils and Slade) (*Note - Candidate Neal withdrew)
- Hillsborough Mayor (1 seat; 1 candidate; Incumbent Weaver)
- Hillsborough Board of Commissioners (3 seats; 4 candidates; Incumbents Bell, Hughes, and Lloyd)
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education (4 seats; 6 candidates; Incumbent Dasi (*Note - Candidate Huerta-Bapat and Tortora withdrew)
- How: Three ways Chamber members and friends engaged with the candidates on their ballot
- (Survey) Reviewed the candidates' survey responses (Chapel Hill and Carrboro)
- (Videos) Watched the candidates' video responses to our questions through the (un)forum 2019
- (Event) Attended Coffee with the Candidates on Wednesday, Sept. 4th from 8am-10am at The Siena Hotel (Sold Out)
- More: The following are carefully-curated links which ensured Chamber members and friends were registered to vote, knew where and when to go to the polls, and were able to access timely election information:
- Find out where and when to vote. Type your address into this search engine to find your polling place based on your precinct.
- Discover answers to common questions and register to vote (vote.org).
- Learn more about Orange County Elections and Chatham County Elections, including candidate filings, sample ballots, and polling locations.
- Contact: For questions, contact The Chamber Vice President for External Affairs, Katie Loovis, at (919) 696-0781 (cell) or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
VIEW RESULTS FROM THE 2018 GENERAL ELECTION
What: This Election Hub served as your one-stop-shop for the 2018 elections. Scroll down for five important resources provided to demystify the election process and help Chamber members and employees know who and what was on their ballots.
When: Election Day was Tuesday, Nov 6, 2018. Early Voting began Oct 17, 2018.
Who: The Chamber tracked the following races:
- County Races - Board of County Commissioners (Orange and Chatham Counties)
- State Races - NC General Assembly (House Districts 50, 54, and 56, and Senate District 23)
- Federal Races - US House of Representatives (Congressional Districts 04 and 06)
- Other Local Races - Clerk of Superior Court, Register of Deeds, and Sheriff
Contact: For questions, contact Katie Loovis, Vice President for External Affairs, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, cell: (919) 696-0781 or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.
Top Five Resources for the 2018 General Election:
- Know who and what is on your ballot. Scroll down to see the latest state-of-play on who is running for each relevant office (local, state, and federal races), click through the hyperlinks to access each candidates' website, and review the simple summary of the six constitutional amendments.
- Meet the candidates. Click here to enter the nation's first (un)forum - the Chamber's signature, virtual candidate forum. We use shineBIG video technology to conveniently connect you with candidates. Watch their short videos and communicate with them now through social media!
- Compare the candidates. Review Orange and Chatham County Commissioner Candidate responses to short yes or no survey questions and identify which candidates are most aligned with your values and priorities. Orange County | Chatham County
- Consider Chamber endorsements. Vote YES on the Chapel Hill Affordable Housing Bond Referendum. The Chamber's Board of Directors voted unanimously to endorse the bond, which will authorize the Town of Chapel Hill to raise $10 million in general obligation bonds for affordable housing. Scroll down to learn more.
- Find out where and when to vote. The following are carefully-curated links to ensure you are registered to vote, know where and when to go to the polls, and access timely election information:
- Type your address into this search engine to find your polling place based on your precinct
- Learn more about Orange County Elections and Chatham County Elections, including candidate filings, sample ballots, and polling locations.
- Read about the Proposed Constitutional Amendments.
State of Play on the 2018 General Election:
Federal Races:
- US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 04
- Incumbent US Rep David Price (Dem) won his primary with 51,989 votes (77%; bested Michelle Laws and Richard Watkins) and is now up against Barbara Howe (Lib) and Steve A. (Von) Loor (Rep)
- US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 06
- Incumbent US Rep Mark Walker (Rep) was unopposed in the primary and is now up against Ryan Watts (Dem)
- NC STATE SENATE DISTRICT 23
- Incumbent NC Senator Valerie P. Foushee (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Tom Glendinning (Rep)
- NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 054
- Incumbent NC Rep Robert T. Reives II (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Jay Stobbs (Rep)
- NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 050
- Incumbent NC Rep Graig R. Meyer (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Kenneth Price Rothrock (Rep)
- NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 056
- Incumbent NC Rep Verla C. Insko (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now up against Matthew P. Clements (Lib) and Marcus Cooke (Rep)
- ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
- Sally Greene (Dem) won the primary with 11,168 votes (61%; bested Brian Crawford and Noah Oswald) and is now unopposed in the general election.
- ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 1
- Jamezetta Bedford (Dem) ran unopposed in the primary and is now unopposed in the general election.
- ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 2
- Earl McKee (Dem) won the primary with 5,844 votes (81%; bested Tommy McNeill) and is now unopposed in the general election.
- CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 3
- Incumbent Diana Hales (Dem) is up against Brian Bock (Rep)
- CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 4
- Incumbent Jim Crawford (Dem) is up against Neill Lindley (Rep)
- CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 5
- Incumbent Walter Petty (Rep) is running unopposed in the general election
State of Play on the 2018 General Election Ballot
Chapel Hill Affordable Housing Bond Referendum:
- Chapel Hill voters have an Affordable Housing Bond Referendum on their ballot this election.
- A referendum gives voters the power to decide if a municipality should be authorized to raise funds through the sale of bonds. In this case, the referendum asks residents to vote on utilizing up to $10 million in general obligation bonds for affordable housing.
- The ballot reads: "Shall the order authorizing Town of Chapel Hill general obligation bonds in the maximum amount of $10,000,000 plus interest to pay capital costs of providing housing for persons of low and moderate income and paying related costs, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds, as adopted by the Town Council on May 23, 2018, be approved?"
- Endorsements/Coverage: Indy endorsement of the bond | Herald Sun coverage of the bond
- Advocacy: "Souls to the Polls" is Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 12:30pm at Chapel Hill's Peace & Justice Plaza. For questions, Contact Devin at devin@ocjusticeunited.org.
Six Proposed Constitutional Amendments:
- Below is a listing of each of the six proposed state constitutional amendments.
- For the official summary explaining each amendment, we encourage you to read Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall's letter to County Election Officials.
|
Title |
Description |
|---|---|
| Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment | Creates a constitutional right to hunt and fish |
| Marsy's Law Amendment | Expands the constitutional rights of crime victims |
| Income Tax Cap Amendment | Changes cap on income tax from 10 percent to 7 percent |
| Voter ID Amendment | Requires a photo ID to vote in person |
| Legislative Appointments to Elections Board and Commissions Amendment | Makes the legislature responsible for appointments to election board |
| Judicial Selection for Midterm Vacancies Amendment | Creates a process, involving a commission, legislature, and governor to appoint to vacant state judicial seats |
Source: Ballotpedia
2018 PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Primaries: Primary elections are often punctuated with little interest and low turnout. But in Orange County, NC, where many more Democrats are registered than Republicans, the winner of the May primary almost always wins the general election in November.
Bottom line: Primaries matter in Orange County. Since local leadership is often determined in the May primary, Chamber members asked us to, once again, ramp-up our primary engagement. We did several things to ensure our members knew what offices were up for grabs and how candidates aligned with positions that mattered to our business community.
- Generated survey responses on a dozen business-related questions from the candidates for Orange County Board of Commissioners
- Coordinated 2nd annual (un)forum, which featured shorts video responses from candidates for all relevant offices
- Hosted "Eggs with Elected Officials + Candidates" (view pictures)
- Provided more information and resources, and encouraged members to get out and vote
Races: The following are the races we tracked:
Orange County:
- Commissioner At Large (1 seat; 3 candidates; No Incumbent)
- Commissioner Dist. 1 (1 seat; 1 candidate; Bedford)
- Commissioner Dist. 2 (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent McKee)
- Sheriff (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Blackwood)
- Board of Education (4 seats; 7 candidates; Incumbent Stephens)
- Register of Deeds (1 seat; 1 candidate; Incumbent Chilton)
- Clerk of Superior Court (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Stanford)
State:
- NC Senate - District 23 (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Senator Foushee)
- NC House - District 50 (1 seat; 2 candidates; Incumbent Rep. Meyer)
- NC House - District 56 (1 seat; 3 candidates; Incumbent Rep. Insko)
Federal:
- Congressional District 4 (1 seat; 7 candidates; Incumbent Rep Price)
- Congressional District 6 (1 seat; 4 candidates; Incumbent Rep Walker)
Results: Congratulations to newly-elected town officials:
(Top left to right: Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger; Chapel Hill Town Council Members: Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman; Bottom left to right: Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle; Carrboro Board of Aldermen: Barbara Foushee, Jacquelyn Gist, Randee Haven O'Donnell, and Sammy Slade)
Get to know the newly-elected officials:
- Watch 90-second video responses and consider their ideas for making our community a great place to start and grow a business.
- Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger
- Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle
- Chapel Hill Town Council: Allen Buansi, Hongbin Gu, Rachel Schaevitz, and Karen Stegman
- Carrboro Board of Aldermen: Barbara Foushee, Jacquelyn Gist, Randee Haven O'Donnell, and Sammy Slade
- Review their survey responses to see if/how they committed to address issues that matter to your business.
| Chapel Hill | Carrboro |
|---|---|
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Summary of Chamber's 2017 Election Activation
For better or worse, elections have consequences. To ensure our members are connected, informed, and engaged during the election cycle and beyond, we offered the following:
- (un)forum: New in 2017, instead of a traditional candidate forum that requires you to be in a certain place at a certain time, we launched an online forum using a new digital platform that allows us to engage candidates in dynamic conversations. The (un)forum is an e-civic initiative of the Chamber, the Orange-Chatham Group of the Sierra Club, and the Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition.
- Survey: Each election cycle, the Chamber designs and administers a candidate survey to ensure our members are well-informed on candidate positions on critical issues. Review the Chapel Hill and Carrboro candidate responses.
- Early voting: Reminder, early voting began October 19th. Find your polling location through the NC State Board of Elections one-stop site and review voting information from the Orange County Board of Elections.
- Cocktails with Candidates: On Oct 17th, the Chapel Hill Young Professionals (CHYP) hosted a happy hour at The Franklin Hotel to mingle with peers and local candidates.
- Coffee with the Candidates: In August, the Chamber hosted candidates for tabletop coffee conversations with our membership.
In the 2016 election cycle, the Chamber:
- Endorsed the Connect NC Bond Referendum: At its December 2015 board meeting, the Chamber’s Board of Directors endorsed the $2 billion Connect NC bond referendum. The Chamber also hosted UNC and UNC Health Care staff to discuss the importance of the bond referendum to UNC-Chapel Hill. Learn more info at carolinabond.unc.edu and pledge to “vote yes to invest” at voteyestoinvest.com.
- Hosted Coffee with the Candidates: At the February meeting of the Economic Development & Public Policy (EDPP) Committee, the Chamber hosted both candidates for the North Carolina General Assembly and the Orange County Board of Commissioners, in addition to nonpartisan judicial candidates. See a full list of candidates who have filed for office in Orange County here.
- Hosted Cocktails with the Candidates: At the February meeting of the Chapel Hill Young Professionals (CHYP), the Chamber hosted candidates for the Orange County Board of Commissioners and nonpartisan judicial candidates. See photos from Cocktails with Candidates at the Chamber’s Flickr account.
- Endorsed both bond referendums on Orange County ballots, one bond for $120 million for capital needs Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools and one bond for $5 million for affordable housing.
- Also, the Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA), of which our chamber is a founding member, endorsed the Wake Transit Referendum. All three counties – Orange, Durham, and Wake – have approved a half-cent sales tax to support transit. Read more about RTA’s focus on transit.
The Election Hub is curated by Katie Loovis, Vice President of External Affairs, The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. For questions about elections, government affairs, public policy, or advocacy, contact Katie at: 919.696.0781 (mobile) or kloovis@carolinachamber.org.