The North Carolina Court of Appeals handles cases appealed by lower state courts and deals only with whether the previous trials were conducted in line with the law. There are 15 judges who serve on the court of appeals with three open seats this November. Terms for these judges last eight years.

The highest seat in the Tar Heel State is up for grabs as current Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is no longer eligible for office. See who's running.

The North Carolina Supreme Court, the highest court in the state, takes up appealed cases from lower state courts, having the final say on matters. There are seven total justices, with one being the chief justice, and one of those seats is up for grabs this fall.