Candidate Filing Opens for 2025 Municipal Elections Across Multiple North Carolina Counties

The candidate filing period for the 2025 municipal elections in several counties, including North Carolina's Lenoir, Greene, Rowan, and Johnston counties, as well as Aiken, South Carolina, opens on July 7 and runs through July 18 or mid-July depending on the location. These elections will include mayoral and city or town council seats, with some municipalities having staggered terms or recent charter amendments affecting term lengths. Incumbents in many areas, such as Salisbury, Kinston, Snow Hill, and Johnston County towns, are eligible and some are seeking re-election, while others have announced they will not run. Filing fees vary by municipality, generally ranging from $5 to $10, and candidates can file through county election boards or party headquarters, with some allowing petition-based candidacies. Election days are set for November 4, 2025, for North Carolina municipalities, with guidance provided for candidate filing requirements and ethics disclosures, especially in South Carolina. Some towns have moved their municipal elections to even-numbered years, reducing the number of elections in certain areas this cycle.