This time next year, you might be headed to the polls.
One of the lesser-known provisions of the state’s sweeping 2013 election reform bill will come into play in 2016, when North Carolina’s presidential primary will follow hot on the heels of South Carolina.
“We would be following the primary for South Carolina whenever their presidential preference primary is,” Orange County Board of Elections Director Tracy Reams explains. “So we could be looking at holding a presidential preference primary in February, and then holding the remaining primary contests in May.”
Reams says she’s heard the rationale for moving the date up from May is to give North Carolina more clout in the nomination process.
“From what I understand, they were talking about how in North Carolina, when we hold our primary so late in May, that some people feel like it has already been decided who that presidential candidate is going to be, before North Carolinians get a chance to weigh in on that vote.”
But the move to leapfrog ahead of other states could come at a cost if it’s not OK’d by the national Republican and Democratic parties. The number of North Carolina delegates could be limited, or excluded from the national conventions altogether.
On the local level, the dual primary system will end up costing Orange County twice as much.
“The cost is going to be doubled,” says Reams. “For the presidential preference primary we would have to open up all 44 voting sites; we would have to conduct the early voting period the same way we would in May; we would have advertising costs, ballot printing costs, ballot programming and layout costs. It would, in essence, be double the cost of what we spend in May.”
And it may contribute to voter fatigue in a year when contests ranging from governor to county commissioner will be on the ballot.
“During a presidential primary, we always have a really good turnout,” says Reams. “I’m not sure separating the presidential primary from the other primaries- I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to bring out the people if we’re going to hold an election in February.”
Adding to the uncertainty, mid-February has seen snow and ice this year and last. Reams says it’s possible wintery weather could be a problem next year.
“That would have been a very bad situation, if we have Election Day and we have the weather like we had this week.”
Reams is planning to submit a budget request to Orange County Commissioners this spring asking for more funding to meet the new requirements.
As for the exact timing and process for the presidential primary, Reams says all she can do is wait for state officials to figure it out.
“What we’re waiting for is just more directions from the State Board [of Elections], you know, the logistics and the timing and how we’re going to bring all this together,” says Reams.
Click here to read more on how House Bill 589 will impact local voters in 2016.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines