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North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020
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| 2020 North Carolina House Elections | |
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| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | March 3, 2020 |
| Primary runoff | June 23, 2020 |
| Past Election Results |
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| 2020 Elections | |
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Republicans gained seats and expanded their majority in the 2020 elections for North Carolina House of Representatives. All 120 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Republicans controlled 65 seats to Democrats' 55. Republicans gained a net four seats from Democrats, leaving the Republican Party with a 69-51 majority. In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained a net ten seats, reducing the Republican majority from 75-45 to 65-55.
The North Carolina House of Representatives was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 120 seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Ballotpedia identified twenty-four of the North Carolina House of Representatives races as battlegrounds. Republicans held nine of these districts, while Democrats held fifteen.
This race had the potential to influence the trifecta status of the state. North Carolina had been under divided government since 2017 after Democrats took control of the governorship in 2016, breaking the state’s Republican trifecta that began after the 2012 elections. In order to achieve a trifecta, Democrats needed to flip at least five seats to take control of the State Senate and flip six seats to take control of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Republicans needed to take control of the governorship to achieve a trifecta.
Heading into the 2020 elections, Republicans held a majority in more chambers than Democrats. There was a Republican majority in 59 chambers and a Democratic majority in 39 chambers. In the Alaska House, there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties as part of a coalition.
North Carolina's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are not subject to gubernatorial veto.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
North Carolina modified its absentee/mail-in voting and early voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: The witness signature requirement on completed absentee ballots decreased from two to one. The receipt deadline was extended to 5 p.m. on November 12, 2020, for ballots postmarked on or before Election Day.
- Early voting: Early voting sites were required to be open for at least 10 hours on the weekends of October 17-18, 2020, and October 24-25, 2020. Counties had to open at least one early voting site per 20,000 registered voters.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
| North Carolina House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 55 | 51 | |
| Republican Party | 65 | 69 | |
| Total | 120 | 120 | |
Districts
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Candidates
General candidates
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Democratic
RepublicanPrimary candidates
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the North Carolina State Board of Elections. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]
2020 battleground chamber
The North Carolina House of Representatives was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.
What was at stake?
- Democrats needed to gain six seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.
- If Democrats had flipped both the state Senate and state House while holding the governorship, they would have gained a state government trifecta. If Republicans had held both the state Senate and state House while winning the governorship, they would have gained a trifecta.
Why was it a battleground?
- Seats needed to flip: Democrats needed to flip six of the 120 seats up (5%) in order to win control of the chamber.
- Seats decided by 10% or less in 2018: In the 2018 elections, control of 24 seats (20% of the chamber) was decided by margins of 10% or smaller.
- Seats flipped in 2018: Control of 14 seats (12% of the chamber) changed hands in 2018.
- More seats flipped in 2018 than needed to flip in 2020: The number of seats flipped in the 2018 elections (14) was greater than the number that needed to flip to change control of the chamber in 2020 (six).
- Other 2020 battleground election: The 2020 election for governor of North Carolina was a battleground race. Click here for more on the 2020 gubernatorial election.
- Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the North Carolina House of Representatives a leans Republican chamber in 2020, meaning that both parties had a good chance at winning control of the chamber but that Republicans were slightly favored to retain control.[2]
Battleground races
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified twenty-four battleground races in the North Carolina House of Representatives 2020 elections, nine of which were Republican-held seats and fifteen of which were held by Democrats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.
To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:
- In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
- The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
Battleground races map
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
Seven incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
One incumbent lost in the March 3 primaries. That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Elmer Floyd |  Democratic |
House District 43 |
Retiring incumbents
There were 15 open seats where the incumbent legislator did not appear on the ballot.[3][4][5][6] Those incumbents were:
The 15 seats left open in 2020 were the most since 2012.
| Open Seats in North Carolina House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 120 | 15 (13 percent) | 105 (87 percent) |
| 2018 | 120 | 11 (9 percent) | 109 (91 percent) |
| 2016 | 120 | 14 (12 percent) | 106 (88 percent) |
| 2014 | 120 | 9 (8 percent) | 111 (92 percent) |
| 2012 | 120 | 33 (28 percent) | 87 (72 percent) |
| 2010 | 120 | 10 (8 percent) | 110 (92 percent) |
Redistricting in North Carolina
- See also: Redistricting in North Carolina
In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by the governor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.[7]
State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[7]
- Districts must be contiguous and compact.
- Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
- Communities of interest should be taken into account.
There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.[7]
Process to become a candidate
For partisan candidates
See statutes: Chapter 163, Article 10, Section 106 of the North Carolina General Statutes
A partisan candidate must be registered as an affiliate of the party with which he or she intends to campaign. A partisan candidate must also do the following:[8]
- file a notice of candidacy with the appropriate board of elections (state or county-level)
- file a felony conviction disclosure form
- provide for payment of required filing fees
Filing fees for primary elections are established by Chapter 163, Article 10, Section 107, of the North Carolina General Statutes. Filing fees formulas are summarized in the table below.[9]
| Filing fees | |
|---|---|
| Office | How the fee is determined |
| Governor | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| Lieutenant governor | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State executive offices | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| United States Senator | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| United States Representative | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State senator | 1% of the office's annual salary |
| State representative | 1% of the office's annual salary |
For independent candidates
See statutes: Chapter 163, Article 11, Section 122 of the North Carolina General Statutes
An unaffiliated candidate must file the same forms and pay the same filing fees as partisan candidates. In addition, the candidate must petition to appear on the ballot. Signature requirements are as follows (additional petition requirements are discussed below).[10][11]
| Signature requirements for independent candidates | |
|---|---|
| Office | Signature requirement formula |
| Governor, United States Senator, and other statewide offices | 1.5% of the total number of voters who voted in the most recent general election for governor (must include at least 200 signatures from each of three congressional districts) |
| United States Representative | 1.5% of the total number of registered voters in the district as of January 1 of the election year |
| State legislative seats (including those that cover more than one county) | 4% of the total number of registered voters in the district as of January 1 of the election year |
For write-in candidates
See statutes: Chapter 163, Article 11, Section 123 of the North Carolina General Statutes
To be certified, a write-in candidate must submit a declaration of intent and petition. Signature requirements are as follows (additional petition requirements are discussed below).[12]
| Signature requirements for write-in candidates | |
|---|---|
| Office | Required number of signatures |
| Governor, United States Senator, and other statewide offices | 500 |
| United States Representative; state house and state senate seats for districts that cover more than one county | 250 |
| State house and state senate seats for districts that lie within one county | If there are 5,000 or more registered voters in the district, 100 signatures; if fewer than 5,000, 1% of the number of registered voters |
Petitions are due on noon 90 days before the general election.[13] Write-in candidates do not have to pay filing fees.[13]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for North Carolina House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Qualified party | N/A | $140.00 | 12/20/2019 | Source |
| North Carolina House of Representatives | Unaffiliated | 4% of registered voters in the district | $140.00 | 3/3/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 7 of the North Carolina Constitution states: Each Representative, at the time of his election, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[14] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $13,951/year | $104/day |
When sworn in
North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[15]
North Carolina political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
North Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in North Carolina
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, North Carolina, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 46.2% | 2,189,316 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
49.8% | 2,362,631 | 15 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 2.7% | 130,126 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 1.3% | 59,491 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 4,741,564 | 15 | |||
| Election results via: North Carolina State Board of Elections | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Carolina utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Parties decide who may vote in their respective primaries. Voters may choose a primary ballot without impacting their unaffiliated status.[16][17]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In North Carolina, polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Any voter who is standing in line at the time polls close must be permitted to vote.[18]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in North Carolina, each applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which they are registering to vote for at least 30 days before the election, be at least 16 years old at the time of application and at least 18 years old by the time of the subsequent general election, and not be serving a felony sentence, including probation and parole [19][20] The North Carolina voter registration application is available online.
Voter registration applications can be completed online or submitted to the appropriate county board of elections. Applications must be submitted at least 25 days before the election, but voters can also register and vote on the same day during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.[21]
Voter registration services are also provided by the following agencies:[22]
- Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
- Division of Services for the Blind
- Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Division of Health Benefits
- Division of Child and Family Well-Being/WIC
- Division of Social Services
- Division of Rehabilitation Services
- Division of Employment Security (DES)
- Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities
Automatic registration
North Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.[23]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
North Carolina has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[23]
Same-day registration
North Carolina allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period only.[24][25]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must reside in the county in which they are registering to vote for at least 30 days before the election.
Verification of citizenship
North Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who fraudulently or falsely registers is guilty of a "Class I felony under Chapter 163 of the NC General Statutes."[26]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[27] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The North Carolina State Board of Elections allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
North Carolina requires voters to present photo ID when voting.[28]
Note: According to the Board of Elections website, "On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed an injunction against implementation of photo ID legislation. As a result, photo ID laws enacted in 2018 and 2019 will be implemented moving forward, starting with the municipal elections in September, October, and November 2023. A separate federal case challenging the same laws is pending, but no injunction against the laws exists in that case." The injunction was issued on December 16, 2022.[28]
The following documents were acceptable forms of identification as of May 2024:[29]
| “ | Any of the following that is unexpired, or expired for one year or less:
Note: A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday. Any of the following, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date:
|
” |
For a list of acceptable student and public employee IDs, click here.
Early voting
North Carolina permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Carolina. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[31]
An absentee ballot request form must either be submitted online or by mail before 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned either in person or by mail and received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.[31][32]
See also
- North Carolina House of Representatives
- North Carolina State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2020 State & County Candidate List by Contest (.PDF)" accessed December 23, 2019
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "July Update: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races," July 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ District 29 incumbent MaryAnn Black (D) and District 82 incumbent Linda Johnson (R) did not file for re-election in 2020 and were included on the list below. Both died in office and their appointed successors ran for election in 2020, so Ballotpedia removed their names from the list of open seats.
- ↑ Debra Conrad (R) resigned from District 74 before the filing deadline. Wes Schollander (R) was appointed to her seat in August 2020 and is not running for re-election.
- ↑ Incumbent David Lewis, Sr. resigned on August 20, 2020. He was replaced on the ballot by Howard Penny Jr. (R).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 All About Redistricting, "North Carolina," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "Chapter 163, Article 10, Section 106," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "Chapter 163, Article 10, Section 107," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "Chapter 163, Article 11, Section 122," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "Senate Bill 656," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ North Carolina General Statutes, "Chapter 163, Article 11, Section 123," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Write-in Candidate Petitions," accessed April 28, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina Constitution, "Article II, Section 9," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Election Information," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "NC Gen Stat § 163-166.01 (2022) Hours for voting," accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Registering to Vote,” accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Who Can Register,” accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Register in Person During Early Voting,” accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “National Voter Registration Act (NVRA),” accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 30, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Register in Person During Early Voting,” accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ Justia, “NC Gen Stat § 163-227.2 (2022),” accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "North Carolina Voter Registration Application," accessed November 2, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Voter ID," accessed May 1, 2023
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, “Voter ID,” accessed May 23, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "FAQ: Voting By Mail," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form," accessed October 7, 2024
