GREENSBORO, N.C. — Time is ticking for voters to make their voices heard in the 2024 primary, and if they're feeling "party" fatigue -- they'll have to stick it out through Tuesday.
A viewer asked, "Can I change my party affiliation before the primary election?"
State Board of Elections public information director Patrick Gannon concluded -- no -- it's too late to change party affiliation for the primary.
Early voting ends Sat., March 2 in North Carolina, and voters who don't vote early will have to wait until Tues., March 5 -- election day -- to vote at their assigned precincts.
Voters can choose or change political party affiliation only during the voter registration period. This year, the deadline to do that for the primary was Feb. 9. So, it's too late to change for the primary but not too late for the general election in November, which has a voter registration deadline of Oct. 11.
Same-day voter registration during early voting allows for address changes but not party changes, so voters have to complete the process by mail through the state Board of Elections website.
NC primaries are partisan elections. At the polls, now or on Tuesday, a voter will receive the ballot for the party for which he or she is registered and thus see candidates for only that party. A registered unaffiliated voter will choose a democrat, republican or libertarian ballot.
Gannon confirmed the no-labels party and green party do not have primaries this election, so those voters can vote only non-partisan, if available. Keep in mind, a non-partisan ballot will show only the races or initiatives unaffiliated with a party (so none of the republican and democrat presidential and governor candidates will be options).
Voters won't have to worry about any of these logistics come November, because in the general election, they will see nominees from all parties on the ballot.