The 2026 North Carolina General Election: A Guide
Jesse Welty | Sept. 8, 2026
Student voter information board in Gladfelter Dining Hall at Warren Wilson College, on Sept. 5, 2026 in Swannanoa, N.C. (Vivian Bryan/Echo)
The 2026 general election for North Carolina is quickly approaching, so what does that mean? The statewide election, also known as the midterm, happens midway through every four-year presidential term and offers voters an opportunity to influence the composition of the U.S. Congress. In this election, all 435 members of the House of Representatives, as well as a third of the Senate will be up for vote. Many states, including North Carolina will also have additional races included on the midterm ballot, meaning it is imperative that citizens show up to vote for proper representation during this election in order to ensure appropriate function of the checks and balances system across federal, state and local administrative bodies.
This year, the seats up for election in N.C. will include:
One U.S. Senate seat
14 U.S. House seats
One N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice seat
Three N.C. Court of Appeals Judge seat
50 N.C. Senate seats
120 N.C. House seats
Local judges and district attorneys
County offices such as sheriffs, county commissioners and Board of Education members
Municipal elections (dependant on jurisdiction)
Three constitutional referendums, where citizens may vote to approve or reject constitutional amendments, will also appear on the upcoming ballot. Buncombe County will have two additional referendums, which may be found here. To see the exact seats that will be up in Buncombe County, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCBSE) voter search feature allows voters to view their sample ballot by simply entering their first and last name, and selecting the link found underneath the section labeled ‘Your Sample Ballot.’
The official election day will be on Nov. 3, 2026. On this day, voters will be required to go to their assigned polling location, which will typically be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.. However, everybody in line prior to 7:30 p.m. will still be permitted to vote even after the cutoff, so stay in line! For students of Warren Wilson College (WWC), there will be two separate polling locations dependent on dorm address. Students located on the residential side of campus, including all of Sage Circle, ANTC, Sutton and those located in ballfields will be assigned to W.D. Williams Elementary, located at 161 Bee Tree Road in Swannanoa, N.C.. Students residing on main campus, including Sunderland Hall and Vinings A and B will be assigned to the Bee Tree Fire Department at 510 Bee Tree Road in Swannanoa, N.C.. If there is any question regarding polling locations, the NCBSE also provides a polling place search feature.
Early voting will begin Oct. 15 and end on Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.. During this period, voters may cast their ballot at any early voting location in their county. They will also be able to register and vote at the same time and place. This is especially valuable for students who have recently moved back to campus, as many may be required to update their residential address. This option is generally not available when voting on election day.
To register to vote, or update registration prior to the election in Buncombe County, there are different procedures for those with a N.C. drivers license, and those without. Those with a N.C. license may go through the NCDMV website, while others should complete a voter registration form and follow the instructions listed here on the Buncombe County website. Note that the registration deadline for those not taking advantage of same-day registration during the early voting period is Oct. 9 at 5 p.m..
A more comprehensive list of the previously mentioned deadlines, including some additional ones to note are as follows:
Oct. 9: Voter registration deadline at 5 p.m.
Oct. 15: Early voting period opens
Oct. 20: Requests for absentee ballots closes
Oct. 31: Early voting period closes at 3 p.m.
Nov. 3: Election day and deadline for absentee ballot submissions
Changes in Congress can deeply restructure the way the U.S. government functions at all levels. Likewise, whichever party holds congressional majority greatly affects legislation, federal taxing and spending as well as to what degree the executive branch is held accountable. For this reason, the upcoming midterm election is crucial for determining how well American citizens are represented in higher levels of government.
For further inquiries into how voter registration works, how the voting process itself works or any other related questions, the NCBSE website offers an extensive overview of every step of the process.