2023 Municipal Election

Richmond County has 6 municipalities that will hold elections this year.

The November Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The Dobbins Heights will be held on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

CANDIDATE FILING

Filing Dates: Friday, July 7 at noon through Friday, July 21 at noon

Candidate Withdrawal Deadline: Tuesday, July 18 at 5 PM

Filing Fees: Filing fees for municipal offices are $10. Filing fees should be paid in the form of a cash, check or money order.  Business or corporate checks are not accepted. Exact change is required if paying in cash. (Cash is only accepted if filing fees are less than $50).

IMPORTANT DATES

• Friday, September 8:  Absentee ballots available for Dobbins Heights Election
• Friday, September 15:  Voter registration deadline for Dobbins Heights Election (forms must be postmarked by this date)
• Thursday, September 21 - Saturday, October 7: One-Stop Early Voting for Dobbins Heights Election (Held at Richmond County Board of Elections Office, 221 S. Hancock St., Rockingham)
• Tuesday, October 3:  Last day to request an absentee ballot for Dobbins Heights Election
• Friday, October 6:  Absentee ballots available for November Election
• Sunday, October 8:  Residency deadline for November Municipal Election
• Tuesday, October 10:  Dobbins Heights Election (polls open from 6:30 am – 7:30 pm) 
• Tuesday, October 17, 11:00 am:  Canvass, Dobbins Heights Election 
• Friday, October 13:  Voter registration deadline for November Municipal Election (forms must be postmarked by this date)
• Thursday, October 19 – Saturday, November 4:  One-stop early voting for November Municipal Election (Held at Richmond County Cooperative Extension Office, 123 Caroline St., Rockingham)
• Tuesday, October 31:  Last day to request an absentee ballot for November Municipal Election
• Tuesday, November 7:  Municipal Election (polls open from 6:30 am – 7:30 pm)
• Friday, November 17, 11:00 am:  Canvass, November Municipal Election

MUNICIPAL ELECTION ELIGIBILITY

 Not all voters are eligible to vote in this year’s municipal election.  Many Richmond County voters live in unincorporated areas, meaning they do not reside in a municipality.

The easiest way to determine if you live within a municipality or special district is to look up your voter record.  

 If you have something listed for Municipality, then you are eligible to vote in this year’s municipal election. 

VOTER RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

An incorrect belief is that anyone who owns property in a municipality or county or pays taxes to it has the right to vote there.  The reality is that a person needs to establish that location as their permanent residence to be eligible to vote there.

A person registering to vote must have, by the time of the election, resided in that municipality or county for at least 30 days with the intent to make that location a permanent place of residence.

Staff of the North Carolina State Board of Elections offers the following general opinion: “A person may have an actual abode (residence) in one place, and their permanent established home (domicile) in another.  A domicile is the place to which the person intends to return.  The law requires all persons to have only one domicile for voting purposes.”