Daily Update April 1, 2026: Change the Voting Years

Tired of endless elections and low-turnout off-years? In today’s Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Thursday, April 9, 2026, we look across the river to Belville, North Carolina, where town leaders unanimously voted to move their local races to even-numbered, partisan election years to combat voter fatigue and save resources. We break down how Wilmington’s odd-year elections see turnout collapse from nearly 70% in 2024 to around 30% in 2025, why the costs don’t really change from year to year, and how simple charter changes—already adopted by cities like Charlotte and Winston-Salem—could give voters a breather while strengthening local democracy.

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Tired of endless elections? A small town on the other side of the river can lead the way out. This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Thursday, April 9th, 2026. Beleville, North Carolina, best known as being the first exit off Route 17 after going over the Big Bridge, has voted unanimously to change its town charter to host elections only during the even years of partisan races. According to Mayor Chuck Boost, the move was done in part to overcome voter fatigue and decreasing voter turnout. They were like, every time I turn around there's an election, the mayor said. They say I didn't even know anybody was running until I started seeing campaign signs come up. He is right. Here in Wilmington, as in most but not all places in North Carolina, elections happen every year, and those in the odd years are usually nonpartisan. And just like Belleville, those odd year elections have the worst of turnouts. According to the State Board of Elections, in 2024, the election turnout for Wilmington was close to 70%. In 2025, around 30%. Those voters didn't go anywhere, they just simply did not show up to vote. There is no major cost difference of running even year elections and odd year elections. Voting places and stations still need to be set up, voting officials still need to be hired and paid, and all the other associated costs that go into running a secure election still need to be put in a budget. It is not cheap, and we do it every year. All it takes to change is for the local government, in this case the city of Wilmington and the Beachtown municipalities, to petition the state government to change their charters. That request gets sent to the General Assembly. The issue of current terms of office is worked out to either lengthen or curtail them to fit the new schedule, and quicker than you can say, y'all, it's not the heat, it's the humidity, we go from election fatigue to time needed away from the polls. Charlotte already does it, Winston-Salem does as well. If a little town on the other side of the river named Beleville can do it, why can't we? For the Wilmington Standard, I'm Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.