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Santa isn’t the only person keeping a list at this time of the year.

Local officials in charge of elections will begin jotting down names on a list starting at 12 noon on Monday, Dec. 6 at which time the filing period opens for the March 8, 2022 Primary Election.

The filing period ends at 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 16.

Candidates seeking local offices (county commissioner, county sheriff, clerk of court, and school board – where applicable) are required to file with the Board of Elections office in their county of residence. A filing fee is required.

Local Board of Elections offices are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The following local seats are available during the 2022 Election cycle (name shown in parenthesis is the individual currently elected to that position):

Bertie County

Board of Commissioners (District 2 – Greg Atkins)

Board of Commissioners (District 3 – Tammy Lee)

Board of Commissioners (District 5 – Ronald Roberson)

Clerk of Superior Court (Vashtie James)

Sheriff (John Holley – announced earlier he will not seek reelection.)

Gates County

Board of Commissioners (Gatesville District – Jack Owens)

Board of Commissioners (Gates District – Ray Freeman III)

Board of Commissioners (Eure District – Jonathan T. Craddock)

Clerk of Superior Court (Nell Wiggins)

Sheriff (Ray Campbell)

Board of Education (Leslie Byrum, Sallie Ryan, Glendale Boone)

Hertford County

Board of Commissioners (District 1 – Leroy Douglas II)

Board of Commissioners (District 2 – Andre Lassiter)

Clerk of Superior Court (Shirley Johnson)

Sheriff (Dexter Hayes)

Municipal Election – Ahoskie Town Council (postponed from November 2021 due to redistricting based on results from 2020 U.S. Census)

Ward A (Charles Freeman)

Ward B (Roy Sharpe)

At Large (Jamie Burns)

Northampton County

Board of Commissioners (District 3 – Nicole Boone)

Board of Commissioners (District 4 – Joyce Buffaloe)

Board of Commissioners (District 5 – Dr. Kelvin Edwards Sr.)

Clerk of Superior Court (Laquitta Green-Cooper)

Sheriff (Jack Smith)

Northampton County Board of Education (Rhonda Taylor,

Lucy Edwards, and Marjorie Edwards)

Northampton County Board of Education (to fill the unexpired term of the late Josephine Dunn. She was elected to a four-year term in March 2020 and passed away on Feb. 27 of this year.)

State Offices

Primary candidates seeking seats in the NC General Assembly (House and Senate) will file in their county of residence.

Primary candidates for the following offices will file with the State Board of Elections in Raleigh:

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

N.C. Supreme Court Justice

Judge of the N.C. Court of Appeals

Superior Court judge

District Court judge

District attorney

State-level candidate filing typically takes place at the State Board of Elections office. However, due to space constraints at the board office and the pandemic, filing is moved to the Exposition Center on the N.C. State Fairgrounds, located at 4285 Trinity Road in Raleigh. Parking is available next to the Exposition Center.

For candidates filing with the State Board, the following hours apply: On the first day of filing, Dec. 6, filing will be open from noon to 5 p.m. On the last day of filing, Dec. 17, filing will be open from 8 a.m. to noon. On all other business days of the filing period, candidates may file from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Candidates are not permitted to run in a party primary unless they have been affiliated with that party for at least 90 days as of the date of filing a notice of candidacy.