Celebrations at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party’s watch party on Tuesday night began early in the evening, when Democrat Roy Cooper was called to win his race for U.S. Senate, replacing retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and flipping the seat blue — a crucial win for Democrats, who took control of the U.S. Senate later on Tuesday night.

It’s Election Day for the 2026 midterms, and WFAE reporters are talking to voters outside polling stations throughout the region.A record 2.8 million North Carolinians cast their ballots early this year, with long lines reported at the end of the early voting period on Saturday. Turnout appeared steady on Tuesday, with streams of voters filing through voting booths. The state’s open U.S. Senate seat is the highest-profile contest this year, but the ballot also includes a state Supreme Court seat, constitutional amendments limiting income tax rates and property taxes, as well as a host of local races and county bond questions.

Candidates across North Carolina have made their final ad purchases and donors have given their last contributions in races covering Mecklenburg County and the surrounding area — some of which are expected to be close.

Polls are open in the Carolinas. Here is what you need to know before you head to the ballot box.

The N.C. Democratic and Republican parties are reporting similar overall fundraising totals for state-level races this year, but there are big differences in how the money is being allocated for individual races.

Libertarian Tom Bailey is running in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District for the second consecutive election.

This fall, Beth Helfrich is fighting to retain a seat she flipped blue in 2024 from a former legislator who wants it back.John Rhodes held the seat Helfrich currently holds in the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 98 — covering Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville — in the early 2000s. Now he’s running on a platform of ultra-conservative values to try to win it back.

Catawba College’s Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service and the UNC Charlotte School of Data Science, with support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, have teamed up to create a nonpartisan, easy-to-use election resource for North Carolinians.

Voter turnout amongst older generations historically outpaces young voter turnout. But this year, disillusioned by an economy that doesn’t seem to be working for them and frustrated with political division, Generation Z voters could be narrowing that gap.

Change is guaranteed on the Cabarrus County school board this year. Six candidates are running for three seats, and two of the three incumbents declined to seek reelection.