David Young will celebrate in Asheville.

The Democratic candidate for state treasurer will watch election night returns with family and friends at his house.

Beth Wood will celebrate at her parents' farm.

The Democratic candidate for state auditor will watch election returns with her family in Cove City.

June Atkinson will celebrate at the North Raleigh Hilton.

The Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction will watch election returns in suite 543 with family and supporters.

Eddie Davis will celebrate at his home.

The Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction will watch election returns with his family in Durham.

Eric H. Smith will celebrate in Reidsville.

The Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction will watch election returns at his home with family and friends.

Called2Action has made its picks in the Republican primary.

The conservative Christian group in Wake County has created a sample Republican ballot for members to use when voting next Tuesday. (It did not create a Democratic ballot.)

In statewide races, the group endorsed John McCain for president, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Fred Smith for governor, Robert Pittenger for lieutenant governor, Eric H. Smith for superintendent of public instruction, John M. Tyson and Dean R. Poirer for state Court of Appeals.

In local races, it also endorsed Augustus Cho for the Congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. David Price and Marty E. Miller for District Court Judge.

Eric H. Smith could have been a member of the U.S. Coast Guard right now instead of a Republican candidate for state Superintendent for Public Instruction.

Smith said he tried to fulfill one of of his lifelong goals by signing up fhe Coast Guard after he graduated from high school, Keung Hui reports.

But a week into his service, he said he was discharged because a detailed medical exam uncovered a shoulder injury he had suffered when he was hit by a car in high school.

Smith said he had been so heartbroken about not being allowed to stay that he had lobbied people, including U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, for help. If he had gotten back in, he said he would have made it his career.

Smith's tenure in the Coast Guard is so short that he doesn't list it on his biography on his campaign Web site.

It's not hard figuring out where Joe Johnson went to high school.

The campaign web site for the Republican candidate for state schools superintendent points out that he graduated from East Henderson High School, Keung Hui reports.

But when it comes to his higher education credentials, it only says he got a bachelor's degree in business administration.

When asked, Johnson said he got his degree from California Coast University which happens to be an online school.

As for his GOP opponents, Eric H. Smith briefly attended Forsyth Technical Community College before going to two different flight schools to get his pilot's license, while Richard Morgan graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Eric Smith was a member of his high school's "Potsmokers Club."

Smith, who is now a Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction, listed the club as one of his activities on his MySpace profile.

Smith promoted his campaign on the profile, but he recently changed its privacy settings to allow it to be viewed only by his friends. (An archived version is below.)

"There was a group of us that rode skateboards, and that's what we called ourselves," Smith said.

Asked if the group actually smoked marijuana, Smith said he doesn't think that is relevant to his campaign for the state's top school officer.

He added that he thinks several other former group members also list the club on their MySpace pages, though he acknowledged that none of them are candidates for public office.

Three candidates for superintendent of public instruction don't want 527 ads.

Incumbent Superintendent June Atkinson, Democratic challenger Eddie Davis and Republican candidate Eric H. Smith said at a rally today that they do not want outside groups running independent ads in their race.

Here are their exact responses:

Atkinson: "I believe that 527 money would undermine the spirit of this candidacy, of this race, and I am working to get individuals to participate through a grassroots effort in our state."

Davis: "I'm not aware of any independent expenditures, but I would encourage anyone who is looking at that to recognize the importance of this program and to decide not do to that."

Smith: "I am concerned that there are going to be some special interest money coming in and I'm hoping that you the media will go to these groups and ask them if this is what they're going to do. A lot of these groups have supported this program, but the media needs to challenge these folks to be sure that they're still not going to try to get in and influence the elections."

N.C. Voters for Clean Elections coordinator Chase Foster pointed out that there is a "rescue money" provision in the law for candidates who face independent expenditures from 527 groups.

"Regardless of whether public financing is in play, independent expenditures are a problem," he said.

Nine statewide candidates will accept public financing in their campaigns.

At a press conference held by N.C. Voters for Clean Elections outside the state Capitol today, nearly all of the three Republicans and six Democrats said that the financing program will make them less reliant on special interests.

The group includes two incumbents, Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson and Republican state Auditor Les Merritt. It also includes insurance commissioner candidate Wayne Goodwin, who said his 2004 campaign for labor commissioner was eye-opening.

"While candidates used to visit all the county seats across this great state and visit every courthouse sheriff and stop in to enjoy an RC Cola at a country store or go to umpteen barbecue rallies around the state, in 2004 I learned how campaigning had succumbed to the money chase," he said.

He said he spent up to eight hours a day, six days a week, calling donors.

The other participants include superintendent candidates Eddie Davis and Eric H. Smith, auditor candidates Beth Wood and Fred Aikens and insurance commissioner candidates John Odom and David Smith.

David Smith did not attend the rally due to a family emergency.