During municipal elections, voters elect local officials, including mayors and town or city council members. The filing period for Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender County races ends at noon on Friday, July 16.
To file for municipal office, a candidate must:
- Be 21 years old by Election Day.
- Be a registered voter of the county and reside in the municipality at the time they file for office. If they are not already registered to vote, they can register at the time they file their notice of candidacy.
- Reside within the district or ward for an office that is elected by district or ward.
- File a Municipal Notice of Candidacy with their county board of elections office and pay a filing fee set by the municipality — or, submit a petition in lieu of paying the fee.
- File an organizational report for the candidate committee with the county board of elections within 10 days of filing a notice of candidacy, or within 10 days of organizing the candidate committee — whichever occurs first.
- For partisan elections, be affiliated with the same political party in which they intend to file for at least 90 days prior to the filing date.
- Disclose any felony convictions. A prior felony conviction does not preclude holding elective office if the candidate’s rights of citizenship have been restored.
Candidates for partisan municipal offices who wish to run as unaffiliated should review N.C.G.S. § 163-296 and N.C.G.S. § 163-122 (a)(4), and the fact sheet on running as an unaffiliated candidate.
For more information, view Running for Municipal Office and Fact Sheet: Running for 2021 Municipal Offices.
Elections for about 30 N.C. municipalities that elect by district were delayed until 2022, because of delays in the U.S. Census data needed for redistricting. Those delays do not impact Brunswick, Pender, or New Hanover counties.
2021 Brunswick Races
- Bald Head Island Mayor
- Bald Head Island Village Council
- Belville Commissioner
- Belville Mayor
- Boiling Spring Lakes Commissioner
- Boiling Spring Lakes Mayor
- Bolivia Alderman
- Bolivia Mayor
- Brunswick Regional Water And Sewer H2Go Commissioner
- Calabash Commissioner
- Carolina Shores Commissioner
- Carolina Shores Mayor
- Caswell Beach Commissioner
- Dosher Hospital Board Of Trustees
- Holden Beach Commissioner
- Holden Beach Commissioner (Unexpired Term)
- Holden Beach Mayor
- Leland Councilman
- Navassa Commissioner District 1
- Navassa Mayor
- Northwest Councilman
- Northwest Mayor
- Oak Island Councilman
- Oak Island Councilman (Unexpired Term)
- Oak Island Mayor
- Ocean Isle Beach Commissioner
- Ocean Isle Beach Mayor
- Sandy Creek Councilman
- Sandy Creek Mayor
- Shallotte Alderman
- Shallotte Mayor
- Southeast Brunswick Sanitary District Commissioner
- Southport Alderman Ward 1
- Southport Alderman Ward 2
- Southport Mayor
- St. James Council Member
- Sunset Beach Councilman
- Sunset Beach Mayor
- Varnamtown Alderman
- Varnamtown Alderman (Unexpired Term)
- Varnamtown Mayor
2021 Pender Races
- Atkinson Commissioner
- Atkinson Mayor
- Burgaw Commissioner
- Burgaw Mayor
- St. Helena Councilman
- St. Helena Mayor
- Surf City Council Member
- Topsail Beach Commissioner
- Watha Commissioner
- Watha Mayor
2021 New Hanover Races
- Carolina Beach Council Member
- Carolina Beach Mayor
- Kure Beach Board Of Commissioners
- Kure Beach Mayor
- Wilmington Council Member
- Wilmington Mayor
- Wrightsville Beach Alderman
- Wrightsville Beach Mayor