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Familiar faces and new names are getting ready for the upcoming municipal elections later this year. Candidate filing is underway until 12 noon on Friday, July 21.

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, around 475 cities, towns, and villages in the state will hold municipal elections in 2023. These races elect representatives to local government – usually as a mayor or town commissioner/council member – which makes decisions throughout the year on municipal development, policing, water and waste services, local taxation, and other issues.

No municipal elections will be held in Gates County this year, but there will be a number of races on the ballot in Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton counties.

Candidates have to file at their local county board of elections office. There is a filing fee, which is usually $5 but does vary for some specific races.

Some towns will also include elections for seats with unexpired terms, meaning that the candidate elected will only serve out the remainder of the term instead of a full one.

Several municipalities in Bertie County will hold elections this year. Unlike other towns, however, Powellsville and Windsor both follow the Nonpartisan Primary and Election method, meaning that a primary election will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 10 if the number of candidates for the race is greater than twice the number of seats to be elected. If no primary election is needed at the end of the filing period, the candidates will be transferred to the municipal election to be held on Nov. 7.

Voters in Powellsville will elect three town commissioners and the mayor. So far, only Camille Taylor has filed in the Powellsville town commissioner race.

Windsor voters will choose three town commissioners as well. The candidates in that race so far include Camille Holmes Rascoe, Cathy Wilson, and Randy Walston.

Other elections in Bertie County include Askewville (mayor, three commissioner seats), Aulander (mayor, two full-term commissioner seats, three unexpired term seats), Colerain (mayor, two full-term commissioner seats, one unexpired term seat), Kelford (mayor, five commissioner seats), Roxobel (mayor, four commissioner seats), and Lewiston-Woodville (three full-term town council seats, one unexpired term seat).

As of midday on July 14, not many people, however, have filed yet for the other Bertie County elections.

John Byrum and Philip L. Thomas have submitted their names for Aulander town commissioner, and Kenneth (KC) Cain has filed for Kelford town commissioner.

In Roxobel, the incumbent mayor Gary Johnson has filed for a chance at another term, and Dillon Pruden has filed for town commissioner.

The Bertie County Board of Elections Office is located at 210 W. Watson Street, Windsor, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the office at 252-794-5306.

In Hertford County, Como is the only municipality without any elections this year. The other towns will be electing mayors and town council members.

Charles Simmons is the only candidate who has filed in Ahoskie so far, seeking to represent Ward A on the Ahoskie Town Council.

Ahoskie voters will also elect a town council representative for Ward B and a mayor.

Cofield voters will elect the mayor and five town council members, but no candidates have filed yet.

Thomas Grimes and Deborah Baker are the two candidates so far in the race for Harrellsville Town Council, where five seats need to be filled. No one has filed for Harrellsville Mayor yet as well.

In Murfreesboro, Hal Thomas is seeking another term as mayor. Peter B. Griffith has also filed for that seat.

With five open seats on the Murfreesboro Town Council, Gilbert Tinkham, David Brown, and James Byerly are the candidates who have filed so far.

Evans Heath has filed for another term as mayor of Winton. He is currently running unopposed. And Blake Blythe is currently the only person who is seeking one of the five seats on the Winton Town Council.

The Hertford County Board of Elections Office is located at 418 Everett Street, Suite A, Ahoskie, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the office at 252-358-7812.

Several candidates have already filed for Northampton County races.

Walter Lee Duke, Jr. is currently the only candidate running for the unexpired mayor term in Conway.

Michael Johnson and Jeff Daughtry have filed for Conway town commissioner. There are three full-term commissioner seats open, as well as one unexpired term seat. Steven W. Walls is the only candidate who has filed for the unexpired term so far.

Roy L. Bell, the long-serving mayor of Gaston, has submitted his name for a chance at reelection to his position. He is currently running unopposed.

There are five seats open for Garysburg town commissioner, and six candidates have already filed for that race. Those candidates include Semiko N. Jacobs, James Mayo, Rita C. Williams, Curtis Williams, Lola Ausby, and Ky’Juan Faison.

Three seats are open for Gaston Town Commissioner, but Terrance Lamont Smith is the only candidate to file so far.

Monty Hux, the current mayor of Jackson, has filed to run for another term in that position. Bill Futrell and Stevie Harrell have both submitted their names for Jackson town commissioner. There are two seats open on that board.

In Lasker, Joan Lassiter and Charles M. Daughtry, Jr. have filed for town commissioner. There are three seats available on that board.

Rich Square voters will have at least three candidates to choose for mayor. Rodney Majette, Victoria Newcombe, and Reginald White – the current mayor – have all filed so far.

Rich Square also has five seats open for town commissioner. Linwood Bryant and Raymond Joyner are the only people to file for that race so far.

Two seats are open for Seaboard town commissioner, and Carmelitia J. Coleman is currently the only candidate.

In Severn, Eloise Martin and Marshall Lassiter are the two candidates who have filed for town commissioner. There are five open seats.

Randy Beale is the sole candidate so far to file in Woodland as he seeks another term as mayor.

There are also three seats available on the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District Board of Directors. James E. Kerr, II is the sole candidate in that race so far.

As of midday July 14, other Northampton County races that currently have no candidates include Gaston Mayor, Lasker Mayor, Severn Mayor, and Woodland Town Commissioner (two seats).

The Northampton County Board of Elections Office is located at 9495 NC Hwy 305, Jackson, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the office at 252-534-5681.

Candidates seeking election for any municipal seat must be at least 21 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a registered voter, and reside within the district in which he or she is seeking office. The North Carolina State Board of Elections website (ncsbe.gov) has more detailed information about candidacy and filing requirements.

The 2023 municipal election date is Tuesday, November 7. Beginning with the 2023 municipal elections, North Carolina voters will be asked to show photo ID when they check in to vote.