Elections
The Catawba County Board of Elections
is committed to efficiently conducting fair, honest, and impartial elections so that all qualified Catawba County citizens may exercise their right to vote.
The office conducts local elections, operates voting sites, maintains voter registration lists and handles numerous aspects of election administration. The Catawba County Board of Elections works in conjunction with the State Board of Elections office to ensure that elections are conducted lawfully and fairly.
Who has filed for office?updated 7/19/2019 11:45am
Municipal Filing is CLOSED. City School filing begins Aug 16.
Hickory Primary - October 8th
Hickory Voters in Wards 1, 2, and 3 will have a primary on October 8th. You must reside in the Ward to vote in that Ward's primary election.
Ward 1 Voters will vote for 1 candidate. Top two vote-getters will move on to the November 5th municipal ballot.
Candidates on Hickory Primary Ballot for Ward 1:
- Carmen Eckard
- Dustin Strickland
- Tony Wood
Ward 2 Voters will vote for 1 candidate. Top two vote-getters will move on to the November 5th municipal ballot.
Candidates on Hickory Primary Ballot for Ward 2:
- Ernie Masche
- Louis Wetmore
- Charlotte Williams
Ward 3 Voters will vote for 1 candidate. Top two vote-getters will move on to the November 5th municipal ballot.
Candidates on Hickory Primary Ballot for Ward 3:
- Nathan Hefner
- Daria Jackson
- Danny Seaver
Hickory Primary Calendar
- Registration books close Friday, Sep 13th, 5pm. (Deadline to be able to vote on eleciton day, Oct 8th.)
- One-Stop Early voting begins Wednesday, Sep 18th at Highland Recreation Center 1451 8th St Dr NE
- One-Stop ends Friday, Oct 4th
- Hickory Primary: Tuesday, Oct 8th, 6:30am to 7:30pm
Hickory is split into 6 Wards. The City Council is made up of 1 Alderman from each of the 6 Wards.
If more than 2 candidates file for office for a particular Ward (or Mayor), a Hickory Primary will be held in October--the top two vote-getters will move on to the November election.
- In a Hickory Primary, ONLY the registered voters living in that Ward are allowed to vote in that Ward's contest. If the Mayor's race is in the Primary, all registered residents may vote on that race.
- In the November municipal election, ALL registered Hickory voters vote on ALL Hickory Ward contests.
The start of the 4-year terms of office for Aldermen are split:
Wards 1, 2, & 3 are elected in the same year while Wards 4, 5, & 6 will be on the ballot 2 years later.
The Mayor's term coincides with Wards 4, 5 & 6.
Note: Parts of Ward 5 are in Burke County. Hickory City Ward 5 voters residing in Burke County are required to vote in Burke County.
UOCAVA Election Notice - Hickory Primary - Official Election Notice for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens detailing Catawba County's October 8th, 2019 Hickory City Primary Elections. Military and Overseas Citizans may request an absentee ballot via www.FVAP.gov.
Municipal & City School Board Elections 2019
Printable 2019 Elections Calendar
City School Board Filing Begins - Friday, August 16, 2019, noon
City School Board Filing Ends - Friday, September 6, 2019 (noon for Newton-Conover, 5pm for Hickory)
2019 Municipal & School Elections - Tuesday, Nov 5, 6:30am-7:30pm (One-Stop begins Wednesday, October 16)
Interested in running for an office? Read over the Questions and Answers on starting a Candidate Campaign Committee.
Municipal Seats on the 2019 Ballots
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City School Boards Filing
Hickory Public Schools Seats:
| Begins Friday, Aug 16, noon Ends Friday, Sep 6, 5pm
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Newton/Conover Schools Seats:
| Begins Friday, Aug 16, noon Ends Friday, Sep 6, noon
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UOCAVA Notice - Nov 2019 Election - Official Election Notice for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens detailing Catawba County's November 5th, 2019 Municipal and City School Board Elections. Military and Overseas Citizans may request an absentee ballot via www.FVAP.gov.
PUBLIC SEMINARS - New 2020 Voter Photo ID Law
Catawba County Board of Elections will be hosting two informational sessions this summer to discuss the Voter ID Law going into effect in 2020. The sessions are free and open to the public. Members of the NC State Board of Elections will present the information and will answer any questions you may have concerning the new Voter Photo ID law.
| Thur, Jun 20, 6pm | Patrick Beaver Memorial Library | 375 3rd St, NE, Hickory | Over 30 people were in attandance |
| Thur, Aug 22, 6pm | Newton Main Library | 115 West C St, Newton |
Informational Flyer Click on the image to the right |  |
More information is available on the State BOE website: https://www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID
Federal, State, Judicial, County, and County School Board Elections 2020
Printable 2020 Elections Calendar
Candidate Filing Begins - Monday, December 2, 2019
Candidate Filing Ends - Friday, December 20, 2019
Presidential Primary - Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Note: 17-year-olds may vote in a primary election if they will turn 18 on or before the general election (November 3, 2020)
2nd Primary (if needed) - Tuesday, April 21, 2020 [or May 12, 2020 if Federal races in the runoff]
Filing for Catawba County School Board Begins - Monday, June 1, 2020, noon
Filing for Catawba County School Board Ends - Friday, July 3, 2020, noon
Filing for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors Begins - Monday, June 8, 2020, noon
Filing for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors Ends - Thursday, July 2, 2020, noon
Presidential Election - Tuesday, November 3, 2020
If you are registered as Unaffiliated and interested in running please read this document: Information for Unaffiliated Candidates in 2020
Official Catawba County Election Results
Click here for Catawba County Election Results - PDF reports of votes by Catawba County voters (2002 to Current)
Interactive Results for Catawba County (NCSBE Website)
Organized Campaign Committees
Search - Organized Committees - Choose the Election Year
Voter Photo ID begins in 2020
- PHOTO ID IS NOT REQUIRED FOR 2019 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
- Beginning in 2020, North Carolina voters will be required to provide photo identification when voting in-person or absentee-by-mail, with some exceptions. more details
- Don't have a NC Drivers License, Permit, NC DMV Non-Operator ID card, US Passport, or other acceptable forms of Photo ID?
The Board of Elections Office can issue a free Voter Photo ID Card if you are a registered voter. Complete a Voter ID Card Request Form (forms also available in the office) and bring to your county's Board of Elecitons office during regular office hours until the Friday before the election (deadline for the Presidential Primary is Feb 29, 2020).
If you received a Voter Card (or other type of mail from us) for someone that does not live at that address, please write on the mailing: "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS," and put a line through the barcode if there is one below the address. Place back in your mailbox for the postal service to return to us.
No postage is necessary.
You may later recieve another card from us for this person; please return it, also. Once we receive two returned voter cards, the voter's status will be either "denied" or "inactive" (if inactive, they will have to verbally verify their address if they come to vote). By law, In order for us to remove the voter from your address, we need their signature, or notification from another county or state that they have registered to vote elsewhere. A person may remove themselves by completing a Voter Removal Form.
Is the person deceased? We need a signed Deceased Voter document from a near relative in order to remove their name.
Thank you for helping us keep the registration rolls accurate.
Frequently Used Forms
| Voter Registration Form | Absentee-by-mail Request Form | Voter Photo ID Card Request Form |