CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (November 25, 2025) – Candidate filing for the 2026 elections begins at noon on Monday, December 1, 2025, and ends at noon on Friday, December 19, 2025. The 2026 Primary Election is scheduled for March 3, 2026, and the General Election will be held on November 3, 2026.

Candidates must submit a Notice of Candidacy and pay the required filing fees, which may be paid by personal check, cashier's check, campaign check, money order, or cash. Credit and debit cards are not accepted.

As a courtesy, all necessary filing documents will be provided to the candidate by the Board of Elections staff at the time of filing. Candidates are encouraged to come prepared with their filing fee, but should complete the official forms with the assistance of staff to ensure accuracy and compliance. Reviewing the county and state filing webpages beforehand is still encouraged to ensure all requirements are met.

Candidates seeking local office in Carteret County should file at the Carteret County Board of Elections, located at 1702 Live Oak Street, Suite 200, Beaufort, NC. The following offices are available for candidacy: 

• Carteret County Commissioner: Four seats are available in Districts 1, 2, 3, and 6, each with a four-year term. The filing fee for this office is $48.
• Carteret County Board of Education: Four seats are available in Districts 1, 3, 5, and 6, each with a four-year term. The filing fee is $46.
• Clerk of Superior Court: One seat is available for a four-year term. The filing fee for this office is $1,234.88.
• Register of Deeds: One seat is available for a four-year term, with a filing fee of $818.52.
• Carteret County Sheriff: One seat is available for a four-year term, with a filing fee of $1,161.
• North Carolina State Senate District 2: One seat is available for a two-year term. The filing fee for this office is $139.51.
• North Carolina House of Representatives District 13: One seat is available for a two-year term, with a filing fee of $139.51.

Candidates for other state and federal offices, including U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, State Supreme Court, State Court of Appeals, Superior Court, District Court, and District Attorney file to run for office in the Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. Administration Building (Horse Complex) at the State Fairgrounds, located at 4601 Trinity Road (Gate H3), Raleigh, N.C. 27607. The Hunt Building will be open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with filing beginning at noon on December 1 and ending at noon on December 19.

Candidates are reminded to review the process for appointing a treasurer and organizing their candidate committee by visiting the State Board of Elections' Candidate Committees page.

Once a Notice of Candidacy is filed, the deadline to withdraw is December 16, 2025.

Important Notes:

• Affiliation: Candidates must be affiliated with a political party for at least 90 days before filing for candidacy.
• No Multiple Candidacies: Candidates may only file for one office in an election. A second candidacy can only be filed if the first has been withdrawn.
• Sheriff Felony Disclosure: Under N.C.G.S. 163-106(f), any candidate filing for Sheriff must obtain a valid Felony Disclosure Statement from the NC Sheriffs' Training & Standards Division to file along with their notice of candidacy form. Before filing, candidates must complete several forms and a disclosure statement verifying that they have had no prior felony convictions or expungements. Find the forms and additional information at: Sheriffs' Training & Standards Divisions | NCDOJ.
• Unaffiliated Candidates: Those wishing to appear on the ballot in November must contact the Carteret County Board of Elections for details on the petition process. This process can be started at any time.
• Second Primary: A second primary election will be held on May 12, 2026, if necessary.
• Soil and Water District Conservation Board of Supervisors & Harkers Island Sanitary Board: The filing period for these nonpartisan contests will occur at a later time in the summer of 2026. The filing fee for both positions is $5.

Candidate filings cannot be accepted via surrogate. All Notices of Candidacy must be signed and submitted in person, or certified and delivered via mail or commercial courier services per N.C.G.S. §163-106(a).

For offices that file with the State Board of Elections, questions should be directed to elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov or (919) 814-0700. For offices that file with the Carteret County Board of Elections, questions should be directed to boemail@carteretcountync.gov or (252) 728-8460.

Throughout the filing period, statewide candidate lists will be posted to the State Board website.

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