As of Sunday, about 4.4 million votes have been cast across North Carolina, representing more than half of the state's registered voters. Tuesday, Nov. 5, is the last day for eligible voters to cast their ballots. Here’s what to expect on Election Day and what to know about North Carolina's post-election process.
On Election Day, WFAE will have live special coverage from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on the air and streaming, along with live results trackers on WFAE.org.
When are polls open on Election Day?
In North Carolina, polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voters who are still in line at the polls when they close are eligible to vote. Under state law, voting hours can be extended by the North Carolina State Board of Elections at a polling place on Election Day if there is an interruption. The length of the extension will be the same as the length of the interruption. The State Board of Elections will issue a notice if polling hours are extended. Election results will be delayed if the time is extended at a polling place until all voters cast their ballot.
Unlike during early voting, you must cast your ballot at your designated polling place. Find your polling location through the North Carolina State Board of Elections here.
In South Carolina, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Do I need to show an ID to vote?
In North Carolina, you will be asked to show a photo ID to be eligible to vote. A state driver’s license or these other photo IDs are acceptable:
- U.S. Passport or Passport Card.
- North Carolina Voter Photo ID Card.
- A Driver’s License or Non-Driver ID from another state (If you are a registered voter who registered in the state 90 days prior to the election).
- State or local government employee ID.
- College or university student ID card
- State ID issued by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.
If you don’t have any form of identification, you can vote by filling out an ID Exemption form and voting with a provisional ballot.
In South Carolina, you will be required to show one of the following valid photo IDs:
- S.C. Driver's License
- Includes standard license and REAL ID
- S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
- Includes standard ID card and REAL ID
- Includes S.C. Concealed Weapons Permit
- S.C. Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID
- Includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card
- U.S. Passport
- Includes US Passport ID Card
If you do not have one of these forms of ID, follow these steps.
Are election night results official?
No, results are not official on election night. In the days after the election, election officials in all counties will continue to ensure that all eligible votes are accounted for. This process occurs after every election and is known as the “canvass.” County boards of election will certify the local races by Nov. 15, and the State Board of Elections will certify results by Nov. 26.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections estimates that about 98% of all ballots cast will be included in the unofficial results on election night. Once all the ballots are counted, the county boards of elections will stop updating their results dashboard. During the canvass process, in the 10 days after the election, the counties will upload the additional eligible absentee and provisional ballot votes to the dashboard.
When will election results be reported?
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has an Election Results Dashboard. The dashboard will be updated every 5-10 minutes after the polls close on election night.
A new law enacted last year states that the county boards of elections must wait until after polls close at 7:30 p.m. to begin counting in-person early voting results. Before, the county board of elections could tally early voting results and report the results almost exactly at 7:30 p.m. This new law could postpone the posting of results on the Election Dashboard by 30 minutes to an hour.
Absentee-by-mail ballots can be counted before the polls close on Election Day in North Carolina. Once the polls close at 7:30 p.m., results from absentee ballots will likely be the first to appear publicly in all counties across the state. The absentee ballots returned on Election Day will be counted during the canvassing process which occurs in the 10 days following the election.
What is the timeline on Election night?
The State Board of Elections anticipates unofficial voting results will follow this timeline:
7:30 p.m.:
- Polls Close
7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.:
- The county boards of election approve absentee and early voting ballots. The results are posted on the Elections Dashboard.
- Poll workers at various precincts also deliver Election Day votes to the county board of elections.
8:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.:
- The counties report Election Day results to the state, and they’re updated online, reflecting the final, unofficial vote tally.
Over the next 10 days:
- During the canvass period, votes from overseas and military absentee voters, provisional ballots and absentee ballots returned on Election Day will be added to the vote count once approved by the county board of elections.
What is a provisional ballot?
A provisional ballot is given to a voter when questions arise about their eligibility to vote, qualifications in a specific election or if a photo ID is not present during in-person voting. (Under North Carolina law, voters are required to present an eligible photo ID when voting in person).
Provisional ballots cast are held by election officials until research is done to determine the voter’s eligibility. Until all provisional ballots are counted and researched, election results are not official.
Some additional reasons for casting a provisional ballot include no record of voter registration, an unrecognizable address, and an unreported move.
To learn more about provisional ballots, click here.
Which ballots will be counted and reported on election night?
The votes that will be counted and reported on election night include:
- Ballots cast during early voting (not including provisional ballots).
- Absentee ballots received before Election Day.
- All votes cast on Election Day (not including provisional ballots).
Which ballots will not be counted and reported on election night?
The votes that will not be counted and added to the unofficial results on election night are:
- Absentee ballots received on Election Day.
- Absentee ballots for citizens who are in the military or living overseas that arrive at the county board of election between Nov. 5 through Nov. 14.
Under the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024, eligible voters affected by Hurricane Helene can return their absentee ballots to election sites outside their home county.
- The counties include: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.
- Provisional ballots, which are votes that require additional research to determine eligibility.
These ballots will be counted during the canvass period, between Nov. 5-15.
Who calls an election?
The state does not call elections. An election or race is called by candidates or media outlets based on predictions from unofficial results, the vote difference and exit polls. NPR and WFAE generally follow the Associated Press’ calls.
In some cases, if a candidate is losing a race by a significant amount, they will concede. Even if a candidate concedes, under law election officials are required to continue with the post-election process. This includes counting provisional and absentee ballots from overseas voters during the canvassing period following Election Day. In tight races, these ballots could determine the winner.
