The Final Countdown…

Wake County is not a big area, so when polls close tonight, expect the returns to start coming in by 8:00 pm. Some of the District Attorney campaigns are having election watch events.

Democrat Boz Zellinger is having his event at Busy Bee between Martin and Hargett Streets on Wilmington in downtown Raleigh.

Republican Jefferson Griffin is having his event at Tyler’s Taproom at Seaboard Station off Peace Street in downtown Raleigh.

Republican Jeff Cruden is having his event at Cafe Luna on Blount Street in downtown Raleigh.

We will have a Democratic candidate for the general election. The question is whether we will have a Republican candidate. Under North Carolina law, if leading vote getter does not get more than 40 percent of the total primary vote for in that party’s primary, the second place finisher can request a July 15 runoff.

North Carolina’s runoff system is a vestige of early 20th century attempts by the Democratic Party to broaden the base of the Democratic Party by encouraging intra-party electoral activity. In the 1960s, the 40 percent rule became law in North Carolina for all parties.

A runoff would hurt the Republican candidate’s chances by requiring the candidate to spend time and money trying to secure the party nomination.

I’ll be updating results here as they come in through the State Board of Elections…