Elections

Wake Commissioner & School Board Elections 2020

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 since then have 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. It is egregious that the NC legislature has put these boards in a position to potentially flip with one election cycle. Staggered terms protect institutional knowledge and experience and is good governance.

Wake County 2020 School Board Candidates

All nine school board districts will be on the ballot in November 2020. Four incumbents have no challengers so it is expected that the current board members representing districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be re-elected. Voters will see the school board candidates for their school district listed on their ballot. All candidates for Wake school board are listed below in alphabetical order. (I)= Incumbent

Wake County 2020 Board of Commissioners Candidates

All seven seats of the Wake County Commission will be on the ballot in November. County commissioners provide local funding for our public schools including capital funds for our buildings. Voters will see all seven districts on their ballot as candidates run countywide. Voters will be able to cast one vote in each of the seven districts. All current commissioners filed for re-election except Jessica Holmes in District 3. She is running for statewide office. All candidates for Wake Commissioners are listed below in alphabetical order.

Wake County voters will have a lot on their ballots in 2020. 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 2020 ballot in addition to school board and county commissioners:

• US President & Vice President
• US Senate
• US House
• NC Governor & Lt. Governor
• NC Council of State offices: NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, NC Auditor, NC Commissioner of Labor, NC Commissioner of Agriculture
• NC House & NC Senate
• NC Supreme Court
• District Court Judges

Important Facts on voting in NC

• You do NOT need an ID to vote in the November 2020 election.
• NC citizens with a current NC driver’s license can register to vote ONLINE. There is no fee for voter registration services. Voter registration applications must be submitted on or before October 9, 2020 if the voter wants to vote in the November 2020 election.
• All registered voters may request an absentee ballot for the November 2020 election. (See below for more details about voting absentee by mail.)
• There is no straight ticket voting.  You must mark every single candidate and turn the ballot over to finish voting.
• *Same day registration is available ONLY during Early Voting. Click here for what to bring with you to register to vote during Early Voting.
• Eligible voters can vote in one of three ways: on Election Day, absentee by mail, or at an early voting location
• Sample ballots for the November 2020 election should be available in early September.

Important Dates

• Last day to register to vote: October 9, 2020 5pm 
• Last Day to request an absentee ballot: October 27, 2020 5pm
• Absentee ballots must be received by Wake Board of Elections: November 3, 2020, 5pm.  If you mail in your absentee ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3rd.
• Early Voting: October 15, 2020 8am through October 31, 2020 3pm. 
• Wake County Early Voting Hours: All locations (listed below) are open 7 days per week. 

Monday-Friday 8am-7:30pm

Saturdays 8am-1pm*

Sundays 1pm-6pm

On the last day of Early Voting, Saturday, Oct. 31st, all polls are open 8am-3pm.

• On Election Day, November 3, 2020, all NC polling places will be open from 6:30am-7:30pm. 

Wake County Early Voting Locations

Absentee Voting in NC

• All registered voters may request an absentee ballot for the November 2020 election. No special circumstance or reason is needed to receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot.
• To receive a mail-in absentee ballot, a voter or the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian, or any member of a multi-partisan assistance team (MAT) can request the absentee ballot. 
• For the November 2020 election, completed State Absentee Ballot Request Forms may be emailed, faxed or hand-delivered to the voter’s county board of elections by one of the following: the voter, the voter’s near relative or verifiable legal guardian or a member of a multi-partisan assistance team (MAT). Forms delivered by any other person will not be processed.

Important Resources

Printable GSIW 2020 Voter Information Guide

Wake Co. Board of Elections: www.wakegov.com/elections

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

Democracy North Carolina

https://democracync.org/take-action/election-protection/ 

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

Wake County 2018 School Board Results

All 9 school board districts were on the ballot in November 2018. Two new school board members will take office: Heather Scott in district 1 that covers eastern Wake County and a new member was chosen by the board for district 7. Details below.

Board of Education 2018 Election Results:

District 1:  Heather Scott

District 2: Monika Johnson-Hostler

District 3: Roxie Cash

District 4: Keith Sutton

District 5: Jim Martin

District 6: Christine Kushner

District 7: Kathy Hartenstine*

District 8: Lindsay Mahaffey

District 9: Bill Fletcher

*Board member Kathy Hartenstine passed away suddenly in late September and still appeared unopposed on the 2018 ballot. Voters elected her, allowing the school board to name her replacement. In December 2018 the school board selected Chris Heagarty to fill the vacant District 7 seat for a two year term.

Wake County 2018 Board of Commissioners Results:

All seven seats of the Wake County Commission were also on the ballot in November. County commissioners provide local funding for our public schools including capital funds for our buildings. Chair Jessica Holmes and incumbent James West ran unopposed. New commissioners were elected for districts 4 & 7.

Wake Board of Commission 2018 Election Results

District 1:  Sig Hutchinson

District 2: Matt Calabria

District 3: Jessica Holmes

District 4: Susan Evans

District 5: James West

District 6: Greg Ford

District 7: Vickie Adamson

Wake Co. Board of Elections: www.wakegov.com/elections

Not sure if you’re registered at your current address? Need to find your polling place? Want to see your sample ballot? Visit: http://www.wakegov.com/elections/voters/Pages/default.aspx