North Carolina candidate filing suspended, primary rescheduled

The North Carolina Supreme Court has delayed next year's state primary from March to May, one in what may be a series of election calendar changes in states nationwide where new redistricting maps are under legal challenge.

The Supreme Court pushed the date of the primary and rescheduled municipal elections back more than two months to May 17. It had been scheduled for March 8.

This follows a Dec. 6 reversal of a prior filing suspension as the N.C. Court of Appeals weighed a lawsuit filed by the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters arguing that the state’s new political boundaries are unconstitutional. 

Any candidate whose filing has already been accepted by the State Board of Elections or any county board of elections “will be deemed to have filed for the same office” in the May primary, subject to any court rulings that would impact that candidate’s eligibility, according to the Supreme Court order.

Those candidates would be able to withdraw their candidacy during the new filing period. Any individual who withdraws their candidacy is free to file for any other office for which they are eligible during the reopened filing period.

Dates for a new filing period have not been set.

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Opponents have filed or plan to file lawsuits in a number of states with what plaintiffs call partisan gerrymanders. Other primary delays would not be surprising.

In North Carolina, opponents said the Republican-dominated legislature drew new congressional lines to give themselves an unfair advantage in the state that gained one U.S. House seat after the 2020 Census.

The current North Carolina congressional delegation has eight Republicans and five Democrats. The new map would make Republican candidates favorites in at least 10 of the 14 re-designed districts.

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the Paste BN Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky.