Primary election voting begins Monday in North Carolina, allowing voters to start casting ballots for races that will determine party nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state legislature, and several local offices in the November 2026 general election.
The primary election date is March 3, but mail-in voting begins Jan. 8 for those who have requested ballots. Voters who prefer to vote by mail may still request a ballot; the deadline to do so remains more than a month away.
North Carolina operates a semi-closed primary. Registered Democrats and Republicans vote in their party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may choose to vote in either party’s primary. The ballot includes statewide races such as U.S. Senate, as well as regional contests for legislative seats, county offices, and some municipal positions.
The voter registration deadline is Feb. 6, unless registering in person during the early voting period. Voters needing to register, update their information, or change party affiliation should act before that date.
Voters can view their sample ballot online by searching their registration record on the state’s voter search website. Unaffiliated voters will see all eligible ballots. There are no recognized party primaries this year for the Libertarian or Green parties.
Anyone may vote by mail in North Carolina for any reason. Mail-in ballots must be signed by a witness and returned properly to be counted. A tracking tool, BallotTrax, is available for voters to confirm receipt or take corrective action if needed.
Due to a recent legislative change, all mail-in ballots must now arrive by Election Day to be counted. The state removed a previous three-day grace period. Voters concerned about postal delivery times may hand-deliver their completed ballots to their county board of elections.
