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
District 1:
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District 6:
Christine Kushner (I) unopposed |
District 2:
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District 7:
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District 3:
Roxie Cash (I) unopposed |
District 8:
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District 4:
Keith Sutton (I) unopposed |
District 9:
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District 5:
Jim Martin (I) unopposed |
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.
District 1:
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District 5:
James West (I) unopposed |
District 2:
Matt Calabria (I) unopposed |
District 6:
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District 3:
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District 7:
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District 4:
Susan Evans (I) unopposed |
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
Abbot’s Creek Community Center | 9950 Durant Rd., Raleigh |
Apex Community Center | 53 Hunter St., Apex |
Avery Street Recreation Center | 125 Avery St., Garner |
Barwell Road Community Center | 5857 Barwell Park Dr., Raleigh |
Cary Senior Center | 120 Maury Odell Pl., Cary |
Eastern Regional Center | 1002 Dogwood Dr., Zebulon |
Green Road Community Center | 4201 Green Rd., Raleigh |
Herbert C. Young Community Center | 101 Wilkinson Ave., Cary |
Knightdale Recreation Center | 102 Lawson Ridge Rd., Knightdale |
Lake Lynn Community Center | 7921 Ray Rd., Raleigh |
Laurel Hills Community Center | 3808 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh |
NCSU Talley Student Union | 2610 Cates Ave., Raleigh |
Northern Regional Center | 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest |
Optimist Community Center | 5900 Whittier Dr., Raleigh |
Roberts Community Center | 1300 E. Martin St., Raleigh |
Wake County Commons Building | 4011 Carya Dr., Raleigh |
Wake Tech North Campus | 6600 Louisburg Rd., Raleigh |
Wake Tech South Campus | 9101 Fayetteville Rd., Raleigh |
W.E. Hunt Recreation Center | 301 Stinson Ave., Holly Springs |
W.O. Council Gym | 106 N. Ennis St., Fuquay-Varina |
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.
Mailing Address:
PO Box 695 |
Physical Address:
337 S. Salisbury St. |
Hours of Operation:
Monday–Friday |
Phone: 919-856-6240 Fax: 919-856-5864 Email: voter@wakegov.com |
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
Mailing AddressPO Box 695 Raleigh, NC 27602 |
Physical Address337 S. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27601 |
Hours of OperationMonday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m. |
Contact:919-856-6240 919-856-5864 (fax) |