Elections

Wake Commissioner & School Board Elections 2022

In 2013, the NC legislature redrew the Wake County school board and commissioner districts. Those maps were thrown out by a District Court judge in 2016 and elections proceeded under the districts drawn after the 2010 census. Part of Senate Bill 325 also put all 7 commissioner seats and all 9 school board seats on the same election cycle, ending a historical trend of staggered terms. 

NEW in 2022

Wake commissioner elections will return to staggered terms. Districts 1, 2, 3 and 7 will be on the November 2022 ballot. Districts 4, 5 and 6 will appear on the November 2024 ballot. All Wake county voters will have Districts 1, 2, 3 and 7 on their November 2022 ballot and will be able to cast a vote for each district, as commissioner candidates run county-wide. School board elections remain the same with all nine districts on the ballot in November 2022.

Wake school board elections will return to staggered terms beginning in 2024. All nine school board districts will be on the November 2022 ballot. Voters can only cast one vote based on the school board district* they live in. Candidates elected in districts 1, 2, 7 and 9 will serve four-year terms. Candidates in districts 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 will serve two-year terms. This will return all nine school board districts to staggered, four-year terms beginning in 2024. Learn more about this change. *School board electoral districts are based on voter residence and are not related to school assignment.

In 2013, the NC legislature redrew the Wake County school board and commissioner districts. Those maps were thrown out by a District Court judge in 2016 and elections proceeded under the districts drawn after the 2010 census. Senate Bill 325 also put all seven commissioner seats and all nine school board seats on the same election cycle, ending a historical trend of staggered terms. Since that time, both local boards have sought to return to four-year staggered terms.

NEW district maps

Wake Commissioners and the Wake School Board were required to redraw electoral districts based on 2020 Census data. 

Find details & new commissioner maps here.

New school board maps.

Commissioner and School Board Candidates for 2022

ALL candidates are listed in alphabetical order. (I) designates “incumbent”.

2022 Wake County Commissioner Candidates

Party affiliation will appear on the ballot so we have included here. There is only one candidate for District 4 (unopposed).

2022 Wake County School Board Candidates

Party affiliation will NOT appear on the ballot so we have not included it here. Wake school board elections are non-partisan. There is no primary for Wake school board elections and it is a “plurality” vote, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins. There is no runoff option for Wake school board elections.

Wake County voters will have a lot on their ballots in 2022. We urge you to get a copy of your sample ballot and review it before heading to the polls. Great Schools In Wake and Public Schools First NC are prohibited from endorsing candidates but we do have a Candidate Questionnaire featuring ten education position statements. You can find responses from candidates here. All legislative and statewide candidates are invited to fill out the questionnaire but not all candidates respond. Thus, you may not find some candidates listed. We also have a Thirteen Must-Ask Questions guide for voters to use when seeking information on where a candidate stands with regard to public education. 

Voters will have some or all of the following on their 2022 ballot in addition to school board and county commissioners:

• US Senate
• US House
• NC House & NC Senate
• NC Supreme Court
• District Court Judges

Important Resources

Wake County Early Voting Information

Wake County Early Voting printable flyer

Wake Co. Board of Elections

Check your registration, change your address, find your polling place, find your sample ballot, find your districts and more.

Democracy North Carolina

Democracy NC can answer any question on voting rights, process, rules, etc. They are a nonpartisan organization that uses research, organizing, and advocacy to increase voter participation, reduce the influence of big money in politics and achieve a government that is truly of the people, by the people and for the people. 

1-888-OUR-VOTE
Email: info@democracy-nc.org

Vote411

Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) in October of 2006, VOTE411.org is a “one-stop-shop” for election related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the following aspects of the election process:

• Absentee ballot information
• Ballot measure information (where applicable)
• Early voting options (where applicable)
• Election dates
• Factual data on candidates in various federal, state and local races
• General information on such topics as how to watch debates with a critical eye
• ID requirements
• Polling place locations
• Registration deadlines
• Voter qualifications
• Voter registration forms
• Voting machines