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Voting process begins Friday in North Carolina for 2026 general election

A large box of pre-assembled mail-in ballots
Matt Ramey
/
AP
A large box of pre-assembled mail-in ballots at the Wake County Board of Elections on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C.

Voting in the 2026 general election officially begins in North Carolina on Friday, when the state’s 100 county boards of elections will mail out absentee ballots to those who requested them.

Officials say that makes North Carolina the first state in the country to kick off voting in this fall’s midterms.

All registered voters can choose to vote by mail, as long as they request an absentee ballot by October 20.

Completed ballots must be received by county boards by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.

Residents can also cast their ballots in person during the early voting period between October 15 -31.

April Laissle is a senior reporter and editor at WFDD. Her work has been featured on several national news programs and recognized by the Public Media Journalists Association and the Radio Television Digital News Association. Before joining WFDD in 2019, she worked at public radio stations in Ohio and California.

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