Exactly one month away is a North Carolina presidential primary election that could actually have impact on the national scale for once. Truman once stated that “The buck stops here” and in May that “here” could be North Carolina. As in any election, registration is key to getting a vote and we have more information on how you can get registered before the quickly approaching deadline.
The primary election is May 6th and the last day to register for this election is this Friday, April 11. This is also the date for anyone who would like to change their party affiliation to do so. Also, if a North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote but who misses the 25-day deadline for voter registration may register and vote at a One-Stop Site during the One-Stop Absentee Voting period. The One-Stop Voting period extends from 19 to 3 days before Election Day. The process is sometimes referred to as ‘Same-Day Registration,‘ but it is important to recognize that it is not permitted on Election Day itself.“
In North Carolina, as of 2006 has an estimated population of 8,856,505. Of that almost 9 million people, 5,697,155 are registered to vote as of Friday April 4th, 2008. That’s 64 percent, which could be much higher and with the latest CBS-New York Times poll stating that 81 percent of Americans believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, it needs to be higher for everyone to have their voice on the national front. That said, if you aren’t registered, don’t know if your registration is valid, or need to simply know your polling location, go to the newly redesigned North Carolina State Board of Elections Website to find out all the information you need.
Although the Republican nomination is sealed up by John McCain, if you are a registered Republican, there will still be four choices on the ballot if you aren’t satisfied with the current selection. Mike Huckabee, Alan Keyes, John McCain and Ron Paul are all still on the ballot. On the Democratic side, which will have a lot at stake, is Hillary Clinton, Mike Gravel, and Barack Obama. On either side you can always mark “No Preference” because filling in this bubble is better than not voting at all. Also on May 6th will be primary elections for US Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor and a hand full of other races, depending on your party affiliation.
North Carolina allows unaffiliated voters to vote in either party’s primary, but they can only vote in one. According to PilotOnline.com “From January through the end of March, more than 165,000 North Carolina residents had registered to vote - nearly 75,000 as Democrats, 41,000 as Republicans and nearly 50,000 as unaffiliated. Through the end of March, 19,800 residents had switched from Republican to Democrat or unaffiliated, or from unaffiliated to Democrat, compared with 11,450 Democrats who similarly changed their voter registration.“ It’s going to be an exciting and record year as it has been in most states.
As of today, the only presidential candidate that has spoken in Raleigh is Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama keeps flirting with North Carolina, but has yet to touch down in the capital city. His wife, Michelle Obama, will be on NC State’s campus (Reynolds Coliseum) Tuesday evening speaking free to the public. It is a ticketed event and you can RSVP your seat and find more information HERE. To my knowledge, McCain has yet to visit Raleigh either.
New Raleigh the Vote!
More Information - North Carolina State Board of Elections
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