Municipal Election Season Has Begun

What that means, why it matters for housing, and who’s on the ballot across the Triangle

It’s municipal election season in the Triangle, which means voters across dozens of towns and cities are about to choose their local leaders.

In North Carolina, most municipal elections take place in odd-numbered years (like now in 2025) and decide local races for towns and cities. Think mayors, city councils, town commissioners.

Municipal leaders shape how our neighborhoods grow every time they vote to approve (or not) rezonings, update development rules, and decide where new homes are allowed to be built. While Congress gets more airtime, it’s actually your local leaders who determine where you can live.

Whether its about a duplex down the street, an apartment near transit, or that affordable housing proposal next door, these local decisions add up to the kind of region we become. If we want to build a future that’s more welcoming, walkable, and sustainable, it starts with the choices voters make this fall.

Cities and towns across Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties will vote fo…