Early voting for the primary elections in 2026 in Wake County, North Carolina, will begin Thursday February 12 in 12 early voting centers distributed throughout its jurisdiction.
Eligible voters can cast their ballot at any of the county's early voting centers until Saturday, February 28.
On Monday, February 9, Wake County Board of Elections staff prepared these centers to receive the thousands of voters expected to participate during this early voting period.
Register and vote the same day
Olivia McCall, director of the Wake County Board of Elections, told Enlace Latino NC that any voter can use early voting at any of the centers.
“Regardless of where you live in the county, you are not assigned to a specific early voting location,” he said. “You can use any of the 12 we have available for this election.”
Eligible voters who missed the registration deadline can still register and vote in person during early voting. Same-day registration is available at all early voting locations.
Related: What forms of ID are accepted for early voting in North Carolina?
Where are the 12 early voting centers located in Wake County?
According to McCall, the polling places are scattered throughout Wake County.
“It makes them very easily accessible from anywhere in the county, which is great,” he said.
To find the location closest to your home, work, or current location, visit WakeVotesEarly.com
Dates and times of early voting centers
All early voting centers will be open Monday through Sunday during the following hours:
- Monday to Friday: 8 am to 7:30 pm
- Saturdays: 8 am to 3 pm
- Sundays: from 1 to 6 pm
Wait time
According to a press release from the Wake County Board of Elections, historically wait times tend to be shorter during the first week of early voting, while peak periods occur around lunchtime on weekdays and during the final days of the 17-day period.
also can track real-time waiting times in queues at shopping centers using the online tracker.
As of February 7, according to data from the State Board of Elections, 41,813 Latino voters have registered in Wake County, out of a total of 847,544 registered voters.
>> Explore election data, key dates, candidates, and Latino voter turnout for the 2026 primary elections in the North Carolina Election Map de Enlace Latino NC .
Voting by mail
Registered voters who prefer an alternative to voting in person can request a mail-in ballot.
In North Carolina, it is not necessary to provide a reason for using this method.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot for the 2026 primary election is February 17 at 5:00 pm
Mail-in ballots completed by voters must be received by the Wake County Board of Elections no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, March 3, to be counted, without exception.
During the early voting period, completed and sealed mail-in ballots may be delivered to an early voting center by the voter, a close relative, a legal guardian, or a person assisting the voter due to a disability.
North Carolina law does not allow the use of drop boxes (drop boxes), and anyone delivering a ballot by mail must line up and transfer custody of the ballot directly to an election official.
About the primary elections
In a partisan primary election, voters affiliated with a political party can only vote in that party's primary and cannot participate in another party's primary.
This applies even if the party the voter is affiliated with does not have a primary in 2026, as is the case with the Libertarian Party and the Green Party.
Unaffiliated voters can choose to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary.
Candidate lists and sample ballots are available at wake.gov
You may be interested: John Herrera is seeking the Democratic nomination for the Jackson County Board of Commissioners
Nonpartisan elections in Raleigh
Due to an ordinance adopted in May 2024, the city of Raleigh will now conduct its municipal elections using a nonpartisan primary and election system.
All eligible voters residing within Raleigh city limits will be able to participate in the nonpartisan primary on March 3, 2026, regardless of their political affiliation, and candidates will appear on the ballot without party affiliation.
In addition, eligible 17-year-old residents who turn 18 on or before November 3, 2026, will also be able to vote in the upcoming March 3 primary election.
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