North Carolina smashed its midterm early-voting record with 2,816,821 ballots cast during the 17-day window that ended Saturday, Oct. 31, according to WBTV, citing state election data.

That amounts to 35.7% of all registered voters statewide, up from 29% four years ago.

Polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned precinct polling place, which is based on their registered home address.

Cabarrus County turnout climbing

Cabarrus County Election Director Carol Soles told Carolina Public Press that early-voting turnout in the county was up "significantly." Through the first 15 days of early voting, more than 42,740 people had voted at the county's four early-voting sites, the Charlotte Observer reported. In the entire 2022 midterms, 32,433 Cabarrus voters cast early ballots.

Wake County led the state with more than 300,000 early ballots, WBTV reported. Mecklenburg County followed with 275,954. Turnout ran higher than 2022 in 97 of the state's 100 counties.

One precinct change for Concord voters: The Cabarrus County Board of Elections consolidated precincts 02-05 Weddington Hills Elementary School and 02-07 Poplar Tent Presbyterian Church. Voters assigned to either precinct should vote at 02-10 Weddington Hills Elementary School, 4401 Weddington Road, Concord, according to the county's precinct page.

Who voted early

Unaffiliated voters represented 35% of early ballots, up from 30% in 2022, WBTV reported. Registered Democrats held steady at 38%. Registered Republicans dropped to 26%, down from 31% four years ago.

Ballots cast by voters aged 18 to 25 nearly doubled, surpassing 200,000. Turnout among voters aged 26 to 40 jumped 50%, topping 417,000 ballots. Voters 41 and older still cast more than three-quarters of all early votes.

Female voters cast nearly 1.5 million ballots, or 53% of the total.

What's on the ballot

The marquee statewide race is the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis. Roy Cooper, who served as North Carolina governor from 2017 to 2025, faces Michael Whatley, former Republican National Committee chairman. Cooper has led in most polls, WBTV reported.

Cabarrus County's state House District 73 and District 82 are among the competitive legislative races being watched statewide, according to The Center Square.

Three proposed constitutional amendments also appear on the ballot:

  • Voter ID: Would require all voters, including mail-in voters, to present photo identification. Photo ID is already required for in-person voting under the state constitution and for mail-in voting under state law, WRAL reported. The amendment would make the mail-in requirement harder to change.
  • Income tax cap: Would cap the state income tax rate at 3.5% in the constitution. The current personal rate is 3.99% and is set to drop to 3.49% in 2027. The amendment would not lower taxes but would prevent the legislature from raising rates above 3.5% without another constitutional amendment, according to the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce.
  • Property tax limits: Would require the General Assembly to pass laws limiting how much local governments can increase property tax revenue. The amendment does not set a specific cap, WRAL reported. Lawmakers would determine the formula after passage.

An Elon University poll released in September found all three amendments favored by wide margins, The Center Square reported. The property tax measure drew 72% support, the income tax cap 67% and the voter ID amendment 63%.

Local bonds

Cabarrus County voters will also decide on two education bonds: a $60 million bond for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College's South Campus and a separate $340 million bond for Cabarrus County Schools and Kannapolis City Schools, according to Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The community college bond would fund a 70,000-square-foot Workforce Innovation Center and renovations. The estimated tax impact is about $7.50 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value once the full amount is borrowed.

Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at assigned precinct locations. Voters can look up their polling place at vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup.