A man places signs at Highland Recreation Center polling place in Hickory in Catawba County during Super Tuesday’s primary on March 5, 2024. Absentee voting has begun, primary election day is in less than six weeks, and still, some North Carolina candidates’ place on the ballot remains in limbo. In recent days, the State Board of Elections and various county election boards have considered challenges to candidates, mostly relating to their residence and party registration. For the most part, the candidates being challenged have come out on top. Wilson County sheriff’s candidate For six hours, Bobby Knight was a registered Democrat. He says it was a mistake. His challengers argue that it was strategic. Knight’s candidate challenge is the only one that’s gone through a State Board of Elections hearing. He is running for Wilson County sheriff as a Republican. Knight’s opponents, Republican Kevin Raper and Democrat Brandon Barbrey, both filed challenges against his candidacy on the grounds that he was not a registered Republican for 90 days before filing. Instead, for six hours on Dec. 1, he was a registered Democrat. According to testimony, Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodward told s
