Early voting in North Carolina will start with more sites and extended hours ahead of the March 2026 primary elections, aiming to improve voter access and flexibility. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor reports a 6% increase in early voting locations, rising from 301 in the May 2022 primary to 319 for this election cycle.
State Auditor Dave Boliek emphasized the need to balance accessibility and security in elections, noting that maintaining voter access while ensuring election integrity is essential. He also encouraged all eligible voters to participate in the upcoming primary.
Several North Carolina counties have changed their number of early voting locations. Seventeen counties, including Alamance, Bertie, Bladen, and Wake, have added sites, while seven counties, such as Jackson and New Hanover, have reduced theirs. Overall, the state trend aims to provide voters with more opportunities to cast ballots before Election Day.
In addition to adding sites, North Carolina has increased early voting hours from 45,512 to 48,048, a 6% rise. Weekend early voting hours also saw a slight increase, going from 4,610 to 4,679, according to the Office of the State Auditor.
North Carolina is also expanding on-campus early voting for young voters. Analyses by Dr. Chris Cooper and reporting from The News & Observer show that the 2026 primary will feature ten on-campus sites, including community colleges, up from nine in May 2022.
