Primary elections, especially in years with no presidential race to boost interest, have historically had pretty paltry voter turnouts. In 2018, New Hanover County saw just a 10 percent turnout.
This year, the numbers look to be higher: according to the New Hanover County Board of Elections, the unofficial early-voting turnout is near 12,900 people — more than double the 5,568 from 2018. It's likely the heated issues in the school board and county commissioners' race have had something to do with that.
On this episode, the WHQR news team, joined by reporters from Port City Daily and WECT, will take a look at the New Hanover County races for board of commissioners, board of education, and sheriff — plus the hotly contested primary for North Carolina’s 7th Congressional district.