North Carolina Extends Voting at 5 Precincts, Delaying Results

North Carolina voters will wait a little longer for election results Tuesday night after the State Board of Elections voted to keep polls open late at five precincts in four counties, according to a press release from the board.

The board said it extended voting “due to stoppages in voting during the day” and that “the issues that resulted in voting delays varied by county.” Because results cannot be released while any voting continues, the board said it will not post unofficial statewide results until all polls are closed, with the first numbers expected around 8:15 p.m. Eastern, roughly 45 minutes later than the normal 7:30 p.m. poll close, according to the release.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections opted to extend voting hours Tuesday evening at five precincts in four different counties.

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— CBS 17 (@WNCN) November 3, 2026

Where polls stay open late

According to the State Board of Elections, the extensions are:

• Columbus County: the South Williams-Tabor City Courthouse precinct in Tabor City, open until 8:15 p.m.
• Hertford County: the Como Fire and Rescue Building precinct, open until 7:55 p.m., and the Murfreesboro 1-Murfee Center precinct, open until 8 p.m.
• Lenoir County: the K8 Holloway Recreation Center precinct in Kinston, open until 8 p.m.
• Wilson County: the Wilson City Recreation Building precinct, open until 7:45 p.m.

The Raleigh News & Observer reported that the board met at 2 p.m. to take up the requests and decided against extending voting at precincts in Gates, Watauga and Wilkes counties.

Late voters cast provisional ballots

One detail matters for anyone watching the count closely. Under state law, every ballot cast by a voter who arrives at one of the extended precincts after 7:30 p.m. will be a provisional ballot, the board said in its release. That means those votes are set aside for review rather than counted on the spot.

The board cited N.C.G.S. 163-166.25, which it said allows extended hours only at sites where voting was interrupted for at least 15 minutes, and only for as long as the disruption lasted. The News & Observer reported that areas without extensions can still begin counting their ballots as soon as their own polls close.

Officials point to technical problems

State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes said at an 11 a.m. Election Day news conference that a handful of precincts saw delays “due to various technical issues,” according to the News & Observer.

“During every election, minor disruptions arise such as power outages, tabulator issues, printer jams, longer lines than previously anticipated,” Hayes said, according to the paper. “These are not indications of malicious activity, and the processes are in place to respond to each scenario.”

The board’s release noted that North Carolina has about 2,625 polling places and said “it is not unusual for minor issues to occur at polling sites that result in brief disruptions to voting.” Fox Carolina reported that the extensions push back the posting of statewide results by 45 minutes.

Why it matters tonight

North Carolina is one of the states both parties are watching most closely on election night. ABC News reported that the extended hours mean statewide results will be delayed, so the first official returns from the state will arrive later than originally scheduled.

Voters with questions about results can follow the board’s official Election Results Dashboard, which the board said will begin showing unofficial numbers once every polling place has closed.

Sources

• North Carolina State Board of Elections press release
• Raleigh News & Observer
• Fox Carolina
• ABC News
• CBS 17 (WNCN) on X

Reporting by Daily Beltway.