While eyes in North Carolina and across the country seem focused on the 2020 election cycle, another round of local elections is set to officially get underway on Friday.

The filing period for municipal elections this fall opens at noon on Friday.

Mayors are up for election across Orange County, in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. Incumbents in the southern portion of the county have announced intentions to seek re-election, and there were no major challengers who announced a campaign before filing started.

Hillsborough will have a new mayor for the first time in more than a decade. Tom Stevens announced this spring that he would not be seeking an eighth term in office. Hillsborough mayor pro tem Jenn Weaver quickly announced a run to succeed Stevens.

Three seats on the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners will also be on this fall’s ballot.

Chapel Hill voters will be selecting four members of the town council, in addition to the mayor. And in Carrboro, voters will select a mayor and three members of the Board of Aldermen.

It is expected to be a crowded field for seats on each board in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Several challengers announced campaigns throughout the first half of 2019, attempting to get ahead of the curve with voters.

Voters in the Chapel Hill – Carrboro City School District will also cast votes for four seats on the Board of Education. There will be some new faces on the school board. Former board chair Margaret Samuels resigned her post earlier this year. Another board member, James Barrett, had previously announced he would not seek re-election and instead would run for the Democratic nomination to be state superintendent.

Filing runs through July 19. Early voting is set to being October 17 and Election Day is November 6.