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On WRAL-TV at 5: There is a chance for storms this weekend. Meteorologist Mike Maze is tracking the best times to travel ahead of Labor Day. — Temperatures are expected to hit the 90s on Friday, so it still will be hot, but not as sticky. Saturday, Sunday and Monday each have a chance for storms. WRAL Meteorologist Mike Maze is tracking the timing on WRAL-TV at 5. more
Published: 2022-05-17 04:00:00 Updated: 2022-05-17 20:07:51
Posted May 17, 2022 4:00 a.m. EDT Updated May 17, 2022 8:07 p.m. EDT
By Amanda Lamb, WRAL reporter
7:30 p.m.: Polls closed as scheduled at thousands of locations across the state.
WRAL will have results online and in the WRAL News app as votes are counted, and will take a look at how November races are shaping up in a special at 9 p.m. on WRAL2 (Ch. 5.2, Spectrum 1255).
6 p.m.: With 90 minutes left to vote in the North Carolina primaries, after-work voters arrived with smartphones and notes to keep track of the races and candidates on the ballot.
Voters told WRAL News that the number of candidates in some races made it more challenging to choose correctly. In just one race – for Wake County sheriff – seven Democrats and three Republicans are on the ballot.
4:30 p.m.: Barlow Herget described himself as an "atomic voter."
"I'm someone who will go out even during an atomic attack. They will go vote," he said.
"I've always voted. I think it's very important, because if you don't vote, you don't have any business complaining about anything."
3 p.m.: "You can't complain if you don't vote," Crystal Hodge told WRAL News. She was among those in line at Oberlin Regional Library in Raleigh.
"That's the only time you can put your input and your choice of who you want in office."
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections said early indications show thousands who agree with Hodge.
"The tremendous turnout we are seeing in this election – which is greater than what we saw in the 2018 midterms – is indicative of what we hope North Carolinians, their faith and trust of election professionals conducting elections for them," she said.
2 p.m.: Before the polls even opened on Tuesday, this year's primary mid-term turnout was higher than the last comparable race in 2014. Nearly 8 percent of registered voters voted early, that's compared to about 3 percent in 2014, according to Dr. J. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics & history at Catawba College.
Noon: Of the more than 7 million voters in North Carolina, more than 575,000 cast their votes early, and while turnout for primary elections is often low, there are some very highly contested races this time around.
Many of the races feature long list of contenders.
One of the things the North Carolina Board of Elections is stressing is that the process is going to be fair and safe despite the spread of misinformation in recent years about election integrity.
Election officials do a statewide random audit the day after the election to ensure accuracy.
So far very few problems have been reported other than a few delayed openings.
Tuesday is primary election day, which is when voters across the state pick party candidates for an open U.S. Senate seat, new U.S. House districts, plus seats in state and local races.
Several municipal elections delayed in 2021 are taking place as well, including municipal elections in Fayetteville, Cary and Rocky Mount, and nonpartisan board of education elections in Orange and Johnston Counties, among others. There are 7.2 million registered voters in North Carolina.
The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. People standing in line at 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters are not required to show photo identification to vote, but they must have registered ahead of time and must vote at their assigned polling location.
Tuesday marks the first election since the latest redistricting maps were approved, so state legislative and Congressional districts are different than two years ago.
Check out the WRAL Voter Guide, to check your registration, see the candidates on your ballot and to find out where to vote.
Enter your home address to see races, compare candidates and save your sample ballot.
Enter your home address to see races, compare candidates and save your sample ballot.
The guide includes profiles of the candidates you will have to choose from, based on your home address. One of the nation's costliest and most-watched contests is the U.S. Senate race for the seat of retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr.
WRAL News asked hundreds of candidates questions about inflation, abortion, election laws and the partisan divide in the country. Readers can see what the candidates said in their own words, compare candidates side by side, and then print their choices to take to the polling place.
At 11 a.m., Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state Board of Elections, encouraged registered voters to visit their polling place before polls close at 7:30 p.m.
Bell said around 600,000 North Carolinians voted during the early voting period, which ended Saturday, more than double the 295,000 voters who voted early or by mail in the 2018 mid-term elections.
Bell explained a large team works to make sure each vote is counted fairly, saying, "We want to remind voters that we have countless safeguards in place to help make sure your vote is counted and that the final results are accurate. We do this work every day of the year and we take it extremely seriously."
Among those safeguards, staff conduct post-election audits and voting machines are inspected for accuracy.
Election officials said very few problems have been reported other than a few delayed openings. They will not extend hours at any polls as of noon on Tuesday.
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