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Filing for Office
Once published by the NC State Board of Elections, those interested in filing for office will have access to view the 2023 Municipal Elections Candidate Guide here.
Candidates must file a Notice of Candidacy Form with either the New Hanover County Board of Elections or with the NC State Board of Elections during the Candidate Filing Period. For those offices where filing can be completed at the New Hanover County Board of Elections Office, filing fees can be paid in the form of check or money order for any amount, or cash given that the filing fee is $50 or less. Checks and money orders must be payable to "New Hanover County." For offices filed at the North Carolina State Board of Elections office, check the North Carolina State Board of Elections for specific information regarding check and money order requirements. Business or corporate checks are not accepted.
Candidate Filing Fees- 2023 Municipal Elections | |
|---|---|
City of Wilmington, Mayor | $125 |
City of Wilmington Council Member | $95 |
Town of Carolina Beach, Mayor | $18 |
Town of Carolina Beach Council Member | $18 |
Town of Kure Beach, Mayor | $24 |
Town of Kure Beach Board of Commissioners | $24 |
Town of Wrightsville Beach, Mayor | $10 |
Town of Wrightsville Beach Alderman | $10 |
Notice of Candidacy Signature Witness Requirements
The Notice of Candidacy must be signed in the presence of the Chairman, or Executive Director of the State or New Hanover County Board of Elections, or a candidate may have his/her signature on the notice of candidacy acknowledged and certified to by any officer authorized to administer an oath, including a notary (G.S. § 163-106 (PDF)). In signing his or her Notice of Candidacy, the candidate may use a nickname if the candidate complies with the requirement specified in G.S. § 163-106 (PDF) and which includes submitting an affidavit.
Party Affiliation Requirements for Partisan Offices
No person shall be permitted to file as a candidate of any political party in a party primary if the person, at the time of filing his or her notice of candidacy, is registered as an affiliate of a different political party. No person registered as "unaffiliated" (without any party affiliation) shall be eligible to file as a candidate in a primary. No person shall be permitted to file as a candidate in a party primary unless that person has been affiliated with that party for at least 90 days as of the date of that person filing such notice of candidacy (G.S. § 163-106.1 (PDF))
Offices in the Jurisdiction of the State Board of Elections
Information regarding the offices under the jurisdiction of the NCSBE
Additional Candidate Filing Information
File for these offices at the North Carolina State Board of Elections
- United States House of Representatives
- United States Senate
- District Attorney
- All Judicial Offices
File for these offices at your local county Board of Elections
- North Carolina Senate
- North Carolina House of Representatives
- Most County and Local Offices
The next candidate filing period will be for those non-partisan municipal offices that will be on the ballots during the 2023 Municipal Elections. Candidate Filing for these offices will occur during the timeframe highlighted below, and the Municipal Elections are held in November of 2023.
2023 Municipal Elections Candidate Filing Begins Friday, July 7, 2023 at 12 pm.
2023 Municipal Elections Candidate Filing Ends Friday, July 21, 2023 at 12 pm.
Filing For Candidacy Forms
Any person seeking to become a candidate must file a notice of Candidacy Form. In addition to filing a notice of candidacy, a candidate must affirm whether or not they have ever been convicted of a felony by submitting the Felony Disclosure Form. These forms, and other important forms related to filing, can be found on the NC State Board of Elections Filing For Candidacy Webpage.
Candidates for Sheriff
Effective 2021, candidates for sheriff may not file for candidacy if they have been convicted of a felony, even if the felony was expunged. Before filing, candidates must complete several forms and a disclosure statement verifying that they have had no prior felony convictions or expungements. Find the forms and additional information at Sheriffs' Training & Standards Division | NCDOJ.
Withdrawal of Candidacy
Any person who has filed a notice of candidacy for an office has the right to withdraw it. The withdrawal must be completed any time before the end of the third business day before the filing period ends. Candidates who wish to withdraw must complete a Candidacy Withdrawal form that can be found on the NC State Board of Elections Withdrawal of Candidacy Webpage.
Petitions
A petition is a formal written request, signed by citizens affected by or having an opinion on the issue in question. In North Carolina, citizens use petitions to put candidates and issues on the ballot, waive filing fees, or form state-recognized political parties. Instructions and forms relating to petitions can be found on the NC State Board of Elections Petitions Webpage.