Voters across North Carolina went to the polls Tuesday with the chance to decide who should represent the Democratic and Republican parties in hundreds of elections this fall, from local town councils to the U.S. Senate.
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7:30 p.m.: The polls at most voting sites across North Carolina closed. The poll at Little United Methodist Church in Halifax County will stay open until 8:30 p.m. due to issues launching its systems.
3 p.m.: One polling site in Halifax County (Congressional District 1) reported having issues with launching its systems. Due to the problems, the poll at Littleton United Methodist Church will stay open later (8:30 p.m.) than expected.
"This morning, we had issues with our electronic poll books with checking in," said Halifax County Elections Director Kristin Scott. "When the precinct officials were trying to get everything up and running, the computer would not allow them to proceed."
Because of the problem, the release of the statewide results will be delayed.
A fire alarm at Green Level High School briefly interrupted proceedings at that voting site.
11 a.m.: Tens of thousands of votes have already been cast statewide, according to Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, in a news conference.
Hayes said voting has kicked off with only a few issues.
In Warren County on Monday, a precinct was damaged in a fire, but a mobile voting unit was set up, and voting has continued without disruption, Hayes said.
Hayes also commented on a software update to voting machines that may delay voting results in Cumberland County after polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
"This is not a widespread issue impacting any other county," and Cumberland County's results shouldn't be too far behind other counties, Hayes assured.
Hayes also shared some good news about early voting participation, which is up roughly 25% compared to the 2022 primary. A total of 701,000 voters cast ballots during the early voting period for this primary, up from 559,000 in 2022, which was the last midterm primary, Hayes said.
7:30 a.m.: A software update to voting machines may delay early voting results after polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Cumberland County government officials said in a news release, adding "there are no issues" to report despite the possible delays. The software update will not impact results collected on Election Day.
6:30 a.m.: Polls are open across North Carolina.
Races to watch
In many cases, this primary election is expected to decide who wins in November. Most of the state’s 14 U.S. House seats heavily favor one party or the other, making the primary the most important race for those seats.
In addition to Republican and Democratic primaries for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, there are also two particularly interesting — and competitive — congressional primaries in central and eastern North Carolina.
The Democratic primary for the Triangle-area 4th Congressional District pits U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee against Durham County commissioner Nida Allam. And the Republican primary for the northeastern 1st Congressional District will determine who gets the chance to unseat Democratic Rep. Don Davis in a district that was redrawn by Republicans last year to give their party a better chance of winning.
All 170 seats in the state legislature are also up for election this year. A few dozen are expected to be competitive in November. But in nearly all cases, the districts have been drawn to be safe for one party or the other, meaning that the true competition is the primary. So now is the best chance for voters to make their voices heard.
Some of the legislative primaries are also worth watching — even for people outside the district — including a challenge to the powerful Republican state Senate leader, and a Democratic contest in Wake County to take on one of the area’s only remaining Republican lawmakers.
Here’s what you need to know about voting:
How can I track election results Tuesday night? North Carolina doesn’t report all votes at once. The results will trickle in throughout the night. WRAL will be covering some of the biggest races, including for Congress, local prosecutors and more. Election results for all races will also be posted on the North Carolina Board of Elections website, for anyone who wants to follow along.
Where do I vote? Voters must use their assigned precinct. The state has more than 2,600 polling locations. If you don’t know where yours is, look up your voter registration to find out.
When can I vote? Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line by 7:30 p.m. will still be able to cast a ballot, even if there are long lines.
How do I know elections are fair? North Carolina uses paper ballots, which are machine-counted. The state also conducts audits after every election. Those audits take the vote counts reported by ballot machines and compare them with the paper records to make sure everything lines up.
Which races can I vote in? Voters who are registered with a party affiliation have to vote in that party’s primary. But unaffiliated voters can choose whether they’d like to take a Republican ballot or a Democratic ballot. Everyone will be able to vote in the statewide primaries for U.S. Senate and N.C. Court of Appeals. Beyond that, the races on your ballot will depend on where you live. You can find sample ballots using the state’s voter lookup tool. They will list every candidate in every race on your ballot. It can be particularly useful for unaffiliated voters, to compare options and decide which party’s primary to vote in.
Do I need photo ID to vote? State law requires voters to show photo identification but also contains some exceptions. Most people use their driver’s license. But for those without one, or whose license is expired, the state accepts dozens of different types of IDs for voting. Voters without an ID can cast what’s called a provisional ballot, but those votes might not count. In those cases, state officials investigate whether the voter has an acceptable excuse for lacking ID.
What if my license doesn’t list my current address? You can still use your driver’s license to vote even if it doesn’t match the address on your voter registration. Election officials shouldn’t turn you away, per state law. As long as your voter registration has the correct address, you’re good to go.
What if my voter registration is out of date? If you need to update your name on your voter registration — for instance, if you have a new name after marriage — you can do that at your polling place and vote a regular ballot, the state elections board says. If your address is out of date on your voter registration, you can still update this information. You might need to vote a provisional ballot, or you may be asked to go to the precinct that corresponds with the correct address. Your provisional ballot application will serve to update your voter registration with your address, elections officials say. If you moved to a new county less than 30 days before Election Day, you’re still eligible to vote in your old county if you were registered there. For individuals who are not registered at all or moved to a different county more than 30 days ago, it is too late to register for this primary election, unless the individual recently has become eligible due to becoming a U.S. citizen or had their rights restored following a felony conviction.
What about mail-in voting? If you have a mail-in ballot that you still haven’t sent, you probably shouldn’t try mailing it at this point. But you can still submit it. New state law requires North Carolina to throw out any ballots that arrive after polls close on Election Night, no matter when they’re postmarked. You can throw away their mail-in ballot and vote in person. Or you can skip the lines and go hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your local county elections office (not your polling place) on Monday or Tuesday. Ballots can be delivered by the voter, a near relative or a legal guardian. But friends and neighbors may not drop off someone else’s ballot.
How can I track a ballot I already mailed? If your ballot is already in the mail, you can follow its progress — to ensure it’s already delivered or on its way — by using the state’s official app, BallotTrax.
What's a provisional ballot? If you run into problems, for instance voting without an ID or going to the wrong location, you shouldn’t be kicked out. Officials should still let you vote, using what’s called a provisional ballot. Elections officials will investigate those situations and decide whether your vote should be allowed to count. Ten days after an election you can check to see if your ballot counted.
Can I get help voting? If you need assistance but still want to cast your ballot, curbside voting is available at every polling place for voters who would rather not enter their polling site due to age or disability. Voters can request assistance from an election worker and vote from inside their cars.
What if I spot trouble? If you feel harassed or intimidated at a polling location, election officials urge you to reach out to one of them immediately. It is a crime to interfere with elections.