The North Carolina primary elections are coming up next Tuesday, March 3. Voters across the state will choose nominees for governor, the state and federal legislature and most visibly, for the President of the United States. As a “Super Tuesday” state, North Carolina will play an impactful role in deciding the Democratic nominee. If one of the candidates wins here as well as in other states, they could instantly gain a large lead in the race that could propel them to an early victory.
However, the presidential contest is far from the only reason to vote. In many legislative districts with a strong partisan lean, the primary is essentially the election, as the nominee of the stronger party will almost certainly gain office. The main reason NC State students should vote in the primary though, is that it enables new voters to become familiar with the voting process before the general election, which will help us be more civically engaged in the future.
Voter turnout generally skews higher among older people, often much higher. For instance, in 2018, students older than 30 saw 51% turnout while those 18-21 had only 34.1% turnout. That 17-point gap is down from 22% in 2014, but still represents a challenge in convincing young adults to get out and vote.
This deficit could be caused by a number of factors, likely all working together, including lack of interest, lack of awareness and unfamiliarity with the process. While the first two issues are more systemic, the third can easily be resolved through practice.
A key reason to start with the primary is that turnout is almost always lower than during the general election. This minimizes the chance you’ll have to wait in a long line to cast a ballot, which can be an additional turn-off.
Primaries also represent a lower-pressure situation than the general election. Regardless of who you select, most candidates seeking a party’s nomination hold similar policy positions, so while your choice still matters, it may not be as stressful as the final choice of who holds an office. It can be tempting to react to tough choices by not making them, so removing inhibitions to voting during a potentially low-stakes primary with multiple acceptable candidates can take the edge off the big decision in November.
For those looking to vote in the primary, there are some important things to know. Talley Student Union is an early voting site, and it will be open for voting through this Saturday. If you are registered in Wake County, or are not registered to vote, you can register and vote in Talley if you are voting early. On Election Day, however, you must vote at your precinct’s polling location, which you can find with your voter registration information.
Another important note is that North Carolina has a “semi-closed” primary, meaning if you are registered with a party holding a primary, you must vote in that primary. If you are registered as unaffiliated, you may choose to fill out the ballot for any single party’s primary.
2020 is likely to be a profoundly impactful election. Students at NC State, many of whom haven’t voted in a presidential election before, should take this opportunity to test the process and get comfortable with it. Our voice matters for the future of North Carolina and, by extension, how our university is run. It’s in our best interests to get out there and vote for a candidate who will support us.
