North Carolina State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

North Carolina

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2000 Representatives:	12	(2.76% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	13	(2.99% of 435)
2004 Electors:	15	(2.79% of 538)
1990 Census:	6,632,448	(2.67% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	8,067,673	(2.86% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):	5,122,123
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	5,797,000
Capital:	Raleigh

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States Alphabetically Current North Carolina Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The STATE of North Carolina
	Ratified Articles of Confederation: 5 April 1778. this State formally adhered to the Articles on 21 July 1778 when the document was signed by its delegates to the Seventh Continental Congress
	Ratified Constitution of the United States: 21 November 1789
	The 12th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: SOUTH
	Region: Upper ["Border"] South
	Survey: Metes & Bounds

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): [None. One of the 13 original States which declared their independence from the nascent British Empire on 4 July 1776]

• 1st (1776-1868) [Adopted: 18 December 1776 Convention convened, 12 November 1776, Ratified: 18 December 1776 not submitted to the People]

• 2nd (1868-1876) [Adopted: 16 March 1868 Convention convened, 14 January 1868, Ratified: April 1868 ratified by a vote of 93,118 to 74,009]

• 3rd (1876-1971) [Adopted: 12 October 1875 Convention convened, 6 September 1875, Ratified: 7 November 1876 ratified by a vote of 122,912 to 108,829]

• 4th (1971--) [Adopted: 1969 drafted and enacted by the General Assembly, Ratified: 3 November 1970 effective, 1 July 1971]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2009 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Commissioner of Agriculture: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Commissioner of Insurance: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Commissioner of Labor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012
	• Superintendent of Public Instruction: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Court of Appeals

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• township [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• On Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in the year 1968, and every four years thereafter, or on such days as the Congress of the United States shall direct.... [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-1. c.]
Presidential Primary All States
	• (1992--) On the Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1992, and every four years thereafter, the voters of this State shall be given an opportunity to express their preference for the person to be the presidential candidate of their political party. [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter � 163‑213.2.]
State Primary All States
	• On Tuesday next after the first Monday in May preceding each general election to be held in November [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-1. b.] If ... there is more than one person seeking nomination, the substantial plurality shall be ... forty percent (40%) .... the aspirant who obtains a substantial plurality shall be declared the nominee ... If two candidates receive a substantial plurality, the candidate receiving the highest vote shall be declared the nominee. [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-111 (a)(1)] If .. no aspirant receives a substantial plurality ... the aspirant receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared nominated ... unless the aspirant receiving the second highest number of votes shall request a second primary .... In the second primary only the two aspirants who received the highest and next highest number of votes shall be voted for. [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-111 (b)(1)] If a second primary is required ... the ... board ... shall order that it be held seven weeks after the first primary. [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-111 (3)(e)]
Polling times All States
	• Hours for voting. In every election, the voting place shall be open at 6:30 A.M. and shall be closed at 7:30 P.M. In extraordinary circumstances, the county board of elections may direct that the polls remain open until 8:30 P.M. [NCGA General Statutes - Chapter 163. � 163-166.01.]

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution
	• http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/stgovt/preconst.htm
Election Authority
	• North Carolina State Board of Elections
Legislature
	• North Carolina General Assembly
	• North Carolina General Assembly - House
	• North Carolina General Assembly - Senate
	• North Carolina General Statutes
Democratic
	• North Carolina Democratic Party
Republican
	• North Carolina Republican Party
Third Party
	• Charlotte Area Green Party
	• Constitution Party of North Carolina
	• Libertarian Party of North Carolina
	• North Carolina Green Party
	• North Carolina Right To Life
	• The Unity Party of North Carolina
Media & others
	• Asheville Citizen-Times
	• Chapel Hill News
	• Concord and Kannapolis Independent Tribune
	• Daily Herald - Roanoke Rapids
	• DC's Political Report - North Carolina
	• Durham Herald-Sun
	• Goldsboro News-Argus
	• Hickory Daily Record
	• Lake Norman Navigator
	• Mooresville Tribune
	• Mount Olive Tribune
	• NC Rumors-News
	• NCRepublicans.com (not affiliated with the North Carolina Republican Party)
	• News & Record - Greensboro
	• NewsLink.org - North Carolina
	• newsobserver.com - Raleigh - Durham - Cary - Chapel Hill
	• Politics1.com - North Carolina
	• Star-News - Wilmington
	• Statesville Record and Landmark
	• The Charlotte Observer
	• The Courier-Tribune - Asheboro
	• The Daily News - Jacksonville
	• The Enterprise Record - Davie County
	• The Fayetteville Observer-Times
	• The McDowell News
	• The Morganton News Herald
	• The New Bern Sun Journal
	• The Pilot - Southern Pines
	• The Star - Shelby
	• The Wilson Daily Times
	• Winston-Salem Journal