The 2026 midterm election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Mecklenburg County voters are turning out early in big numbers.
According to The Charlotte Observer, 178,067 people voted in person during the first 12 days of early voting, nearly matching the county’s entire in-person early vote total from the 2022 midterms (187,944). Counting mail-in ballots, participation had reached 183,306 through Monday. The Observer reports that longtime elections director Michael Dickerson has said he expects a record early-vote turnout for a midterm.
Still want to vote early? Early voting runs through Saturday, Oct. 31, according to the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections. Sites are open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Uptown site is the Hal Marshall Annex, 618 N. College St. During early voting you can use any site in the county, and you can still register in person.
On Election Day you must vote at your assigned precinct, and you can’t register that day, so check your registration and polling place with the state’s lookup tools before you go. Mailed absentee ballots must reach the elections office by 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.
What’s on the ballot: The county’s official list includes the open U.S. Senate seat, U.S. House Districts 8, 12 and 14, state House and Senate seats, Mecklenburg County commissioners, district attorney, clerk of superior court, sheriff, soil and water supervisors, and a slate of judicial races. Proposed state constitutional amendments to cap the income tax rate and limit property tax rate increases are also on the ballot, the Observer reports, and Charlotte residents will see three city bond questions.
Results are certified Friday, Nov. 13, per the Board of Elections.
Source: Mecklenburg County Board of Elections: Upcoming elections · Mecklenburg County Board of Elections: Offices on the ballot · The Charlotte Observer: NC voters reveal what’s driving record turnout
