North Carolina voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 to participate in the midterm general elections.
On the ballot, you will find candidates for federal, state, and local offices. You will also have to decide on some proposed amendments to the state Constitution And, depending on where they live, they might find local consultations or referendums.
Why don't they all receive the same ballot?
The ballot that each person receives depends on the address where they are registered to vote.
All voters in the state will be able to participate in some races, such as the election for a U.S. senator and state judicial elections. However, each person will only see the races that apply to their district. districts and jurisdictions.
For example, although in North Carolina the 14 members of the United States House of RepresentativesEach voter may only participate in the election for the congressional district where they live.
The same applies to the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate, county commissioners, school boards, local judges, and other offices.
For that reason, the ballot of a person who lives in Raleigh may be different from the one received by someone registered in Charlotte, Greensboro, or a rural area of the state.
What positions will appear on the ballot in the November 2026 elections?
According to the North Carolina Board of Elections, among the positions that will be at stake are:
- A seat in the United States Senate.
- North Carolina's 14 seats in the United States House of Representatives.
- A position as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
- Three positions on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
- The 50 seats in the state Senate.
- The 120 seats in the state House of Representatives.
- Local judges and district attorneys.
- Sheriffs, county commissioners, school board members, and other local officials.
- Municipal elections in some jurisdictions.
This does not mean that all those positions will appear on every ballot. Each voter will only see the races in which they are eligible to participate based on their registered address.
How to read each contest
The ballot is divided into sections. In each section, the name of the office will appear first, for example, “United States Senate,” “NC House of Representatives,” or “County Commissioner.”
Below the position is an instruction indicating how many options can be selected.
The two most common instructions are:
“Vote for 1”
It means "vote for one person." You should only mark one candidate in that election.
If a person marks two or more candidates in a contest that says “Vote for 1”, it is an excess vote, known in English as overvoteIn that case, no votes will be counted for that contest, although correctly made selections on the rest of the ballot will be counted.
“Vote for no more than 2”, “3” or any other number
It means "vote for no more than two," three, or the indicated amount.
This instruction usually appears in contests where there are several positions available, such as a school board or a board of commissioners.
Voters can select up to the allowed number of candidates. They are not required to use all the options. For example, if the ballot says “Vote for no more than 3,” it is valid to vote for one, two, or three candidates.
Is voting mandatory in all elections?
No. The voter may leave one or more contests blank.
That decision does not invalidate the ballot or affect correctly marked votes in other contests.
For example, a person can vote in the United States Senate election and leave blank a local race he doesn't know. His Senate vote will still be counted.
Can you vote for candidates from different parties?
Yes. In the general electionsVoters can choose candidates from any party, regardless of their political affiliation.
The voter must review and mark each contest separately.
In partisan elections, each candidate's political affiliation will appear next to their name. In some nonpartisan local elections, the ballot may show names without identifying a party.
How to interpret amendments and referendums
Constitutional amendment proposals and referendums usually appear toward the end of the ballot. They do not present candidates, but rather a question or proposal accompanied by two options.
The options will appear as “For” and “Against”.
“For” means to vote in favor of incorporating the proposal into the state constitution. “Against” means to vote against.
In addition, some counties and municipalities will hold local referendums on bonds, taxes, schools, parks, and other issues. The official November 2026 referendum list allows you to view the available proposals by county.
How do you correctly mark a ballot?
All voting systems used in North Carolina generate a paper ballot. Depending on the county, the voter can mark it by hand or use a device that produces a printed ballot for review before depositing it.
If the ballot is marked by hand, the oval next to the chosen option must be completely filled in using the instrument provided at the polling station. Using a check mark, a cross, or circling the candidate's name is not recommended.
Before entering the ballot into the tabulator, it is advisable to check:
- The ovals should correspond to the chosen options.
- That no more than the permitted amount has been selected.
- That all pages of the ballot have been checked.
- Make sure the ballot has no accidental marks.
If a person makes a mistake before depositing the ballot, they can notify a election worker and request another. You should not attempt to delete or correct the selection without consulting first.
An error on one ballot does not necessarily invalidate the entire ballot. Under state rules, if too many options are selected in one category, that category is not counted, but valid votes in the other categories can be tallied.
Where can I find the official sample ballot?
Sample ballots are published when they have been finalized by the Electoral Board.
When available, each voter will be able to check theirs through the Voter Search tool of the Electoral Board:
- Enter first and last name.
- Select the correct record.
- Open voter information.
- Look for the “Your Sample Ballot” section.
- Open or download the corresponding ballot.
Related: “I already voted. How can I know that my vote was counted in North Carolina?”
What to do if you need help understanding the ballot?
A person who has difficulty reading or marking the ballot, for example because they do not understand English well, can request assistance at the polling place.
There are some restrictions regarding who can provide assistance. The assistant cannot be the voter's employer, an employer representative, or a union representative.
A close relative, however, can provide assistance under state rules.
The person assisting must follow the voter's instructions. They cannot try to persuade the voter to vote a certain way or reveal how they voted afterward.
If a doubt arises or a mistake is made, an election worker should be asked for help before inserting the ballot into the machine.
>>> Official resources: www.ncsbe.gov
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