Unlike other Council of State offices, there is no mechanism to fill a vacancy in the lieutenant governorship between elections.

From its creation in 1868 up until the 1970s, the lieutenant governorship was a single-term, part-time position largely confined to legislative duties when the General Assembly was in session.

In 1972, the Democratic-controlled General Assembly expanded the office's resources to challenge the incoming Republican governor.

The office's political prominence increased over the years following the succession amendment and the legislature continued to expand its powers.

[2] Furthermore, the constitution made the official an ex officio member of the newly created State Board of Education.

[14][15] The office's political prominence increased over the years following the succession amendment and the legislature continued to expand its powers.

[16] Green led the Senate in an effort at the onset of his term to make the lieutenant governor the ex officio chair of the State Board of Education by law, directly challenging the authority of Hunt, who had since become governor and was responsible for recommending the board's chair.

[10] Despite this, the legislature granted the lieutenant governor automatic membership on several state boards and significant appointment responsibilities.

[16] Despite this, the officials experienced mistrust from the Senate and faced several unsuccessful attempts to strip them of their appointive powers.

[24] Another effort in 2015 to amend the constitution to provide for the office's joint ticket election with the governor failed.

[26] Historically, the lieutenant governorship was often sought by veteran state legislators as a final prestigious accomplishment for their careers.

[29][30][1][31] Bev Perdue was the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor,[32] while Mark Robinson, sworn in in 2021, was the first black person to ever be elected to the office.

[35] As with other state officials, only qualified voters in North Carolina are eligible to be elected lieutenant governor.

[41] The lieutenant governor is the only officer in North Carolina vested with responsibilities in both the executive and legislative branches of state government.

A two-thirds affirmative vote of the senators present constitutes a conviction and thus removal and future disqualification from holding office.

[60] Avenues for removing the lieutenant governor from office in circumstances other than impeachment—such as a lack of physical or mental capacity—may be determined by law.