North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 163. Elections and Election Laws § 163-294.4. Failure of candidates to file;  death of a candidate before election

(a) If in a nonpartisan municipal election, when the filing period expires, candidates have not filed for all offices to be filled, the board of elections may extend the filing period for five days.

(b) If at the time the filing period closes only two persons have filed notice of candidacy for election to a single office or only as many persons have filed notices of candidacy for group offices as there are offices to be filled, and thereafter one of the candidates dies before the election and before the ballots are printed, the board of elections shall, upon notification of the death, immediately reopen the filing period for an additional five days during which time additional candidates shall be permitted to file for election.  If the ballots have been printed at the time the board of elections receives notice of the candidate's death, the board shall determine whether there will be sufficient time to reprint them before the election if the filing period is reopened for three days.  If the board determines that there will be sufficient time to reprint the ballots, it shall reopen the filing period for three days to allow other candidates to file for election.

(c) If the ballots have been printed at the time the board of elections receives notice of a candidate's death, and if the board determines that there is not enough time to reprint the ballots before the election if the filing period is reopened for three days, then, regardless of the number of candidates remaining for the office, the ballots shall not be reprinted and the name of the deceased candidate shall remain on the ballots.  If a deceased candidate should poll the highest number of votes in the election, even though short of a majority the board of elections shall declare the office vacant and it shall be filled in the manner provided by law.  If no candidate in an election receives a majority of the votes cast and the second highest vote is cast for a deceased candidate, no runoff election shall be held, but the board of elections shall declare the candidate receiving the highest vote to be elected.