First votes of 2024 NC election set to be cast

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·4 min read

Feb. 9—HIGH POINT — An electoral plan meant to boost turnout and magnify North Carolina's role in picking the nominees for president most likely won't play out as hoped this year.

Eight years ago, state legislators shifted North Carolina's primary elections from their traditional date in May to early March. The primaries were moved up so North Carolina voters could have a role in the so-called Super Tuesday election day when hundreds of delegates are on the line in the Republican and Democratic presidential nominations.

But the political landscape this year isn't as conducive to driving turnout through the presidential primaries. Democratic President Joe Biden is virtually unchallenged and former President Donald Trump has trounced his opposition in the early Republican nominating contests.

Wake Forest University Political Science Professor John Dinan said turnout for North Carolina's primaries, which begins Thursday with the start of early voting, may be stunted across the board because of the uncompetitive presidential contests.

"A key question is whether the lack of a competitive presidential primary will cause voter turnout to be significantly lower than in recent presidential primaries in North Carolina," Dinan told The High Point Enterprise. "In each of the last four primaries held in presidential years, voter turnout has exceeded 30% of North Carolina registered voters. But when presidential primaries haven't been competitive, and in mid-term election years without presidential candidates on the ballot, voter turnout in primaries has fallen below 20%."

This year's primaries also don't feature a U.S. Senate race because 2024 doesn't coincide with the end of current terms for Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.

Nonetheless, the primaries still feature critical contests for governor and other statewide offices, all 14 congressional seats, the 170 N.C. General Assembly seats and races for local county boards of commissioners and school boards.

In Guilford County, early voting will take place at 17 polls, including four in the greater High Point area.

The local early voting sites will be Washington Terrace Park, the Roy B. Culler Jr. Senior Center at the former Oak Hollow Mall, Jamestown Town Hall and Deep River Recreation Center. The High Point area early voting sites have been used in the last several presidential and midterm elections.

Hours for early voting at the High Point area locations will be 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekend days of Feb. 24-25.

In Randolph County, early voting will be held at four sites, with the poll for the northern part of the county at the Braxton Craven school gymnasium in Trinity, which has been used as a location for the last several elections.

Weekday early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Randolph County will have two local early voting weekend days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18.

In Davidson County, early voting will take place at five early voting polls, with the Thomasville area site at the public library, which has been used for previous elections.

Early voting on weekdays will take place from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Davidson County will have two local weekend days for early voting from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25.

Early voting on the last day for casting ballots on March 2 will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in all counties because of a state elections statute mandating those hours. Also, the weekday hours for all counties from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. is a state requirement in even-numbered election years.

Primary election day is March 5.

Dinan told The Enterprise that it's possible that collective interest in other contests may offset some of the turnout lost to uncompetitive presidential primaries.

"But these sorts of down-ballot races generally don't draw voters to the polls in high numbers, despite the importance of these elections," the professor said. "And so I will be watching early voting numbers to see if voter turnout is well below what we have seen in recent primaries with competitive presidential nominating contests."

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul