RALEIGH -- North Carolina voters will get to use a rare method for choosing an elected official in the November election.
Eight candidates have filed to run for a Court of Appeals seat vacated recently by Judge Jim Wynn. A special one-week filing period ends this afternoon.
The winner will serve on the state's intermediate appeals court for the next eight years.
Voters must use instant runoff voting when so many candidates run for a vacancy close to Election Day. The voters rank their top three candidates in order of preference. Second-place votes are counted if no one gets a majority of first-place votes.
Candidates include Cressie Thigpen, whom Gov. Beverly Perdue chose to replace Wynn through December, and former Court of Appeals Judge Doug McCullough.
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Former U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge starts out the Democratic primary with the lead in what looks like a wide open field, according to a new survey.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Etheridge said Friday this was "a defining moment" in North Carolina's history, and that he could provide the leadership that would keep the state in its preeminent position in the South. 
North Carolina, with 15 electoral votes, is likely to be among the most hotly contested swing states in 2012. And the statewide fundraising race could end up being as close as the one for votes. 
Erskine Bowles said Thursday that he would not run for governor, but other Democrats moved to fill the void with former Congressman Bob Etheridge announcing that he would seek his party's nomination. 
Buoyed by a lack of competition, former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory will launch his run for governor today with a campaign-opening event in Guilford County. 
North Carolina Democrats have launched a major lobbying effort to get Erskine Bowles to run for governor after Gov. Bev Perdue said last week she would not run for re-election. Keep up with the latest political stories with our free daily e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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