COUNTY FACTS
Brunswick county has approximately how many voters?
A. 75,000
B. 90,000
C. 110,000
D. 125,000
D. 125,000
True or False:
You must register with a political party when registering to vote
False: Voters can choose not to align themselves with a political party. In North Carolina, these voters would be registered as UNAFFILIATED
Presidential Elections are held every ______ years.
Four (in years divisible by four)
General Elections are held every two years in even numbered years. US Senators and Congressman are elected every two years. Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years.
At what age can you vote in North Carolina?
18
Fun fact! Cumberland County is working on drafting legislation to submit in the state senate to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections.
Berkley and Oakland, CA - 16 for school board
4 towns in Maryland - 16 for local elections
Myth or Reality?
Absentee by Mail ballots do not get tabulated on Election day
Myth!
Absentee by Mail ballots are the first ballots tabulated on Election Day when the polls close.
True or False:
All of Brunswick County is currently in the same NC Senate District
True!
Our current representative is Bill Rabon, REP
He has been in office since 2011 and is in his 7th term. He is up for re-election in 2024. State Senators serve 2-year terms.
36% of the voting population in North Carolina is registered as Unaffiliated. Which party has the next highest number of registered voters?
Democratic party has 34%
(Republican party has about 30% with less than 1% registered to another party)
What type of election is being held this November?
A. General
B. Municipal
C. Primary
D. Special
A. General Election
A General Election elects candidates into office across the country, state and county
True or False:
You can vote in a Primary Election when you are 17 as long as you will be 18 by the date of the General Election.
True!
Since a Primary Election does not elect someone into office, as long as the voter will be 18 by the General Election, they can vote in the Primary.
Myth or Reality?
All polling locations in North Carolina use paper ballots
Reality!
Under state law, all voting systems used in North Carolina must use paper ballots, producing a paper trail that can be recounted and audited.
True or False:
All of Brunswick County is currently in the same Congressional District
True!
Our current representative is David Rouzer, REP. He was elected in 2014 and is serving his 5th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is up for re-election in 2024. Congressmen serve 2 year terms.
You can run for President without being affiliated with a party
True!
Unaffiliated candidates do not need the nomination of a political party, but they must meet other requirements that may vary from state to state.
True or False:
A tie in a Municipal Election can be broken by a coin flip
True!
In many states, a tie is broken by a method of random selection determined by the State Board of Elections.
At what age can teens pre-register to vote in North Carolina?
16
Teens can pre-register through the DMV when they get their NC Drivers License or via a voter registration form. All high schools are required to have these forms available to students.
Myth or Reality?
Voting equipment can be hacked into
Myth!
North Carolina voting equipment has no network ports or ability to be put on any network. State law prohibits voting machines from being connected wirelessly to any other device.
True or False:
All of Brunswick County is currently in the same NC House District
False!
Some voters are in NC House District 17 and some are in NC House District 19. Frank Iler, REP currently represents District 17 and Charlie Miller, REP currently represents District 19. Both are up for re-election in 2024. House members serve 2-year terms.
True or False:
In North Carolina, unaffiliated voters are not permitted to vote a ballot in a Primary Election
False:
Unaffiliated voters can vote in a NC Primary, but they must select which party's ballot they wish to vote on.
What is the most common name as write-in for President?
A. Jesus
B. Mickey Mouse
C. Rick Astley
D. Santa Claus
B. Mickey Mouse!
Fun Fact! In several states, Kanye West was the most or second most popular write-in. None of those votes counted, because write in candidates must qualify through a number of steps with the state board
What can you NOT update on your voter registration at the polls?
A. Name
B. Mailing Address
C. Party
D. Residential Address
C. Party
Voters can update their registration if they have had a name change or address change. Note that updating a residential address at the polls could result in a new polling location and could affect which ballot a voter is eligible to vote on
Myth or Reality?
College students must vote in their hometown.
Myth!
College students may register and vote in the county where they go to school if they’re physically present in the school community, unless they plan to return home after graduation.
How many precincts (polling locations) does Brunswick County have?
A. 21
B. 22
C. 27
D. 29
C. 27
Which ballot(s) will NOT have party affiliation listed under the candidates name?
A. Municipal ballots
B. Primary ballots
C. General ballots
D. Municipal & Primary ballots
D. Municipal & Primary
Brunswick County Municipal elections are non-partisan so candidates party is not listed. Primary ballots are party specific - everyone listed on the Democratic ballot is a Democrat and everyone listed on the Republican ballot is a Republican.
True or False:
Candidate order on the Primary and General Election ballots is in alphabetical order beginning with A.
False!
Candidate order is randomly decided by the State Board of Elections once filing is complete. This year ballots in NC start with the letter "D". The order was determined by selecting a ball out of a bingo machine, with the letter on the ball corresponding with a candidate’s last name. Then a coin flip was used to determine alphabetical forward or backward. The coin flip was heads and thus the order on the ballot will move forward in the alphabet.
True or False:
If you own more than one home then you can register to vote in both locations
False!
By law, you are only permitted to vote at one address. It should be the voter's primary address (where they lay their head).Voters must live at their residence for at least 30 days prior to an election.
Myth or Reality?
Election results can be officially confirmed on Election night
Myth!
Results on election night are unofficial. Canvass is the official process of determining the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official election results. In every county, the canvass meeting when the results are certified is 10 days after Election Day.
How many municipalities does Brunswick County have?
A. 15
B. 19
C. 23
D. 27
B. 19
Brunswick County has the most municipalities in the state. We also have 2 Sanitary districts and the last remaining elected hospital board in North Carolina.
How many political parties does North Carolina recognize?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
C:5
Democrat
Green
Libertarian
No Labels (new this year!)
Republican
Presidents can only be elected to two terms, but it wasn't always that way! After Franklin D. Roosevelt won a 3rd and 4th term, which amendment to the constitution was enacted to limit the office of President to two terms?
A. 15th
B. 19th
C. 22nd
D. 26th
C. 22nd Amendment
15th Amendment: Right to vote not denied by race.
19th Amendment: Women's right to vote
26th Amendment: Right to vote at age 18
True or False:
A homeless person cannot register to vote
False!
As long as the homeless applicant for voter registration intends to remain in a locale and has either a place where they can receive messages or an effective mailing address (such as a shelter) they can register to vote
Myth or Reality?
Voters can use their phone to look up candidates when in the process of voting
Reality!
Votes are permitted to use an electronic device to look at a sample ballot or research candidates/issues while voting. Voters are NOT permitted to record their voted ballot or communicate via text, phone, email or other electronic method while voting