The United States Constitution controls the election of the President and Vice-President
of the United States. Among other things, it provides that those offices be elected
by electors. The number of electors in any individual state is equal to the
number of United States Senators and Representatives to which that state is entitled
in Congress.Article 18, Chapter 163 of the North Carolina General Statutes was enacted
to give effect to those Constitutional provisions by providing a mechanism for the
identification of presidential electors in this State.
Under North Carolina General Statute § 163-209, the names of candidates for
electors of President and Vice-President nominated by any political party recognized
in this State under North Carolina General Statute § 163-96 or by any unaffiliated
candidate for President of the United States who has qualified to have his name
printed on the general election ballot under North Carolina General Statute § 163-122
must be filed with the Secretary of State.A vote for the candidates for President
and Vice-President named on the ballot is a vote for the electors of the party or
unaffiliated candidate by which those candidates for elector were nominated and
whose names have been filed with the Secretary of State.
Following the general election, the State Board of Elections prepares abstracts of election
returns and certifies the names of the persons elected to office.The original abstracts
are filed with the Secretary of State and include the results of votes cast for
the offices of President and Vice-President of the United States.
Upon receipt of the abstracts from the
State Board of Elections, the Secretary of State certifies to the Governor
the names of persons elected to the office of elector for President and Vice-President
of the United States. Once the Secretary of State certifies the election results
to the Governor, he issues a proclamation setting forth the names of the electors
and instructs them to be present in the old Hall of the House of Representatives
in the State Capitol in Raleigh at noon on the first Monday after the second Wednesday
in December following their election. At that time, the electors meet and
vote on behalf of the State for President and Vice-President of the United States.
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2008 NC Presidential Electors