#VoteLocalCLT: A primer on Charlotte’s September 15th primary election

Why is the Primary so important? 

The primary election, when we determine which candidate will represent their political party in the general election, typically determines who will be elected. If this doesn’t make sense or seem fair, well, yeah, gerrymandering is a thing in North Carolina.

In Charlotte, there are almost twice as many registered Democrats as there are Republicans and the Republican voters tend to be concentrated in South Charlotte.

Primary elections voting FAQ

Click HERE to check your voter registration. 

Q: Who can vote?

A: Anyone registered to vote before August 21st.

Q: Where do I go to vote in the primary?

A: You vote at the polling location in your precinct, which is where you typically vote for general elections.

Q: I’m a Democrat / Republican / Libertarian / Unaffiliated voter, how does it work?

A: When you check-in, the poll representative will locate your name in their records and give you the ballot that matches your party registration. Democrats and Republicans will receive their respective primary ballot and Unaffiliated voters will be asked, “Which party primary would you like to vote in?” Unaffiliated voters may choose Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, but they may not vote in all. I recommend against choosing Libertarian as they have no candidates and you would receive a completely blank ballot.

Q: Can I vote early in the primary?

A: Yes, early voting for the primary starts on Thursday, September 3rd. During early vote, you can vote at any early voting location, not just the one closest to your home.

Which offices are up for election? 

• Mayor. The mayor of the city of Charlotte is a part-time position. In Charlotte, we have what is considered a “weak mayor” in that the mayor is not the executive of the city. Instead, the city manager controls the day to day operations. The mayor serves as a spokesperson, champion and advocate for the city, and does not have a vote unless there is a tie in city council. However, given the rapid growth of Charlotte, it is becoming a high profile position.
• City Council At-large. There are four city council at-large positions. In the primary, the top four vote getters from each party will advance to the general election, where only four people will be elected to represent the city at large. City council at-large members can live anywhere in the city, and anyone in the city can vote for them. They are expected to consider the best interests of the city as a whole.
• City Council District Representatives. The city of Charlotte is also divided into seven city council districts. Each district elects someone from their district. Those candidates must live in the district and only voters who live in their districts can vote for them. This applies to the primary too, so if there isn’t a contested primary race, there’s no real choice for you to make. City council district representatives have an equal vote on the council as an at-large member.
• School Board At-large. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board has three at-large seats and six district seats. School board members are elected to four year terms but with staggered elections. This means that every two years, either the district seats or the at-large seats are up for election. This year, it’s the at-large seats. Since the school board election is non-partisan, there will be no primary election, and all 12 candidates on the ballot will be on the general election ballot.

Who’s running? 

Filing for these offices on the November 2015 ballot closed on Friday, July 17. The complete list of candidates can be found here. A brief look at the numbers:

• 47 Primary candidates; 31 will advance to the General Election
• 15 Total number of offices; 31.9% will win
• 13 Women candidates; only one woman running for mayor
• 24 First-time candidates

We already have two official and three unofficial winners 

• Patsy Kinsey and Kenny Smith have no opposition in the primary or the general election, securing their seats on city council for another 2 years.
• Gregg Phipps (District 4), John Autry (District 5), and Ed Griggs (District 7) do not have primary challengers, but they do have opposition in the general election. Democrats usually win Districts 4 and 5, and Republicans have held onto District 7 ever since districts were created, so all three incumbents will likely win re-election.

Stay tuned for more stories on the upcoming elections in which we’ll share our opinions on the candidates, interesting district races, and issues that are sparking discussions around the city.

Finally, as a political consultant, I am surprised that 15 candidates did not provide a website when they filed for office. One candidate, Scott Derek Jenkins, had the sense to provide a link to his Twitter page. Given the ease of creating a Facebook profile or a free website, I find it hard to believe that anyone is serious about connecting with constituents without some type of web presence.

Questions? Comments? Connect with Amy on Twitter: @amychiou.