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General Election

2026 Nonpartisan Statewide Voter Guide North Carolina

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Vote Early: Oct. 15 - Oct 31

Election Day Nov. 3

CANDIDATES FOR U.S. SENATE

ROY COOPER

DEMOCRAT

  • Former Governor and former Attorney General.
  • Led state recovery through COVID period.
  • Opposes tactics of ICE troops and supports civil rights protections.
  • Emphasizes economic and healthcare reforms to address the affordability crisis.
  • Opposes Trump’s tariffs, corporate tax reductions, and pro-oil energy policies.

Website: roycooper.com

MICHAEL WHATLEY

REPUBLICAN

  • Former National Republican Party Chair.
  • Led federal recovery efforts in Western N.C. after Hurricane Helene.
  • Supports ICE and strong border control.
  • Emphasizes being tough on crime and creating safer communities.
  • Supports Trump’s tariffs, corporate tax reductions, and pro-oil energy policies.

Website: michaelwhatley.com 

OTHER CANDIDATES

Due to space limits, the guide does not profile candidates with less than 5% of support based on nonpartisan polling at the time of publication. Read about all the candidates on your ballot at ncvoter.org/guide.

Think Your 1 Vote Doesn’t Matter?

In 2024, a top state official won by less than 1 vote per town in N.C. What you do matters!

N.C. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

The N.C. Supreme Court has 7 Justices. Their rulings affect everything: racial discrimination, school funding, voting rights, water quality, worker safety, utility bills, your privacy, and more. Choose 1 Justice this year.

ANITA EARLS

DEMOCRAT

  • Now a Justice on N.C. Supreme Court and former civil rights attorney.
  • Will “uphold the rights enshrined in our State Constitution – like access to health-care, a sound basic education, and the right to vote.”
  • Says she is “fighting to protect and defend the freedoms of everyday North Carolinians.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. Association of Educators.

Website: earls4justice.com

SARAH STEVENS

REPUBLICAN

  • Now a legislator in the General Assembly, chair of a House Judiciary Committee, and attorney focused on family law.
  • Will “respect our state’s constitution and apply the principles of conserving liberty to every case.”
  • Says she is “a conservative voice for justice” and “an experienced conservative leader.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. House Speaker Destin Hall.

Website: sarahstevensnc.com

For all the candidates on your own ballot, visit:

Ballot Builder

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Vote for 1 candidate in your District. Candidates are in their order on the ballot. See ncvoter.org/guide to learn about the candidates. D=Democrat, R=Republican; L=Libertarian

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 8

District 9

District 10

District 11

District 12

District 13

District 14

N.C. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Comparing Democratic and Republican Positions in the N.C. General Assembly

Members of the N.C. Senate and N.C. House represent Districts across the state. Learn about the candidates for your Districts at ncvoter.org/guide and Vote411.org. All members are elected this year for a two-year term. 

The members debate and adopt laws affecting healthcare, jobs, schools, taxes, racial justice, roads, voting, guns, climate change, abortion, and more. 

Democratic and Republican candidates generally reflect the differing positions of their party leaders, like the positions of these two N.C. Senate leaders . . . .

Democratic Senate Leader Sydney Batch

  • Stop giving corporations tax cuts; invest the money in public schools and teachers.
  • Support renewable energy and address climate change.
  • Restore the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families.
  • Stop the sale of rapid-fire assault rifles.
  • Opposes Supreme Court rulings against women’s access to healthcare and the Voting Rights Act.

Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger

  • Cut taxes on businesses and cut environmental and other regulations that slow economic development.
  • Increase public funding for students at private schools.
  • Do not restore the Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Opposes a ban on the rapid-fire assault rifles.
  • Approves Supreme Court rulings against women’s access to healthcare and the Voting Rights Act.

You Be the Judge

This year, you can vote for 3 people to join the N.C. Court of Appeals, which has 15 judges. These judges decide appeals from local courts about property and personal disputes, civil rights, and criminal cases.

N.C. COURT OF APPEALS, SEAT 1

MICHAEL C. BYRNE

REPUBLICAN

  • Now an Administrative Law Judge hearing cases involved government agencies.
  • Says he is “your conservative candidate” and will be a “conservative judge.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. Fraternal Order of Police.

Website: mb4nc.com

JOHN S. ARROWOOD

DEMOCRAT

  • Now a Court of Appeals Judge.
  • Says he is “committed to defending our democracy and protecting the rights of all North Carolinians.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. AFL-CIO.

Website: keepjudgearrowood.com

N.C. COURT OF APPEALS, SEAT 2

GEORGE COOPER BELL

REPUBLICAN

  • Now a Superior Court Judge.
  • Has presided over 100 felony jury trials, including many murder cases.
  • Says he is “grounded in faith and service.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. Republican Party.

Website: judgegeorgebell.com

TOBIAS (TOBY) HAMPSON

DEMOCRAT

  • Now a N.C. Court of Appeals Judge.
  • He ruled against disqualifying 65,000 voters in the Jefferson Griffin vs. Allison Riggs election.
  • Endorsed by N.C. AFL-CIO; Sierra Club; and Durham Committee on Affairs of Black People.

Website: judgetobyhampson.com 

N.C. COURT OF APPEALS, SEAT 3

CRAIG COLLINS

REPUBLICAN

  • Now a Superior Court Judge; formerly an assistant district attorney.
  • Says “conservative judges matter now more than ever.”
  • Endorsed by N.C. Republican Party.

Website: votecraigcollins.com 

CHRISTINE MARIE WALCZYK

DEMOCRAT

  • Now a District Court Judge.
  • Committed to “an independent judiciary” and to “apply the law equally without favoritism or bias.”
  • Endorsed by former judges Cheri Beasley, Robin Hudson, and Charles Becton.

Website: judgechristine.org

Local Offices

Your ballot includes candidates for important local offices, like the sheriff. Some counties elect their School Board this year, others don’t. See ncvoter.org/guide for who’s on your ballot. The winners will directly impact your life, so it’s important to understand their power and duties.

The Board of County Commissioners oversees zoning, housing and transit options, conservation programs, and vital services like the health department. They set the budget for schools, the sheriff’s dept. and other agencies.

Town officials have similar duties to county commissioners for overseeing zoning, taxes, the police and other departments inside the city limits.

The Board hires the School Superintendent and oversees finances, pupil placement, school policies, and local curriculum choices.

The Sheriff directs the manner of law enforcement in the county by hiring, training and deploying officers, setting priorities for arrests and community outreach, and managing the county jail.

The DA can influence public safety and equal justice by the choice of cases to prosecute, bail bond policies, plea deals, and alternatives to incarceration.

These locally elected judges decide cases ranging from adoption and divorce to property disputes and first-degree murder. Their decisions may be appealed to higher courts in the state.

Successful Voting

Here are some tips for having a successful voting experience!

  • CHECK REGISTRATION. Use this link to see your registration status or register at your home address, even if it’s a dorm or nursing home: ncvoter.org/reg. If your reg. status says you are “Inactive,” call the Hotline (888-OUR-VOTE) to learn if you need to do something before you vote. 
  • VOTER ID. You need an acceptable photo ID to vote in person or by mail. Your N.C. driver’s license is good even if the address is old; many student IDs work. See more at ncvoter.org/ID. If you don’t have an acceptable ID, ask the poll worker for an ID EXCEPTION FORM. 
  • ASSISTANCE. Any voter can get help at the polls from a near relative. If you have a disability, you can get help from anyone except your employer or union agent; you can also vote from a car “curbside” or use the accessible voting machine at each poll. Paid caregivers, including if you are in a facility, can help with mail-in ballots; you do not need a guardian’s permission to vote. See more at ncvoter.org/disability.
  • PREVIEW YOUR BALLOT. Learn about the candidates from ncvoter.org/guide, vote411.org and other sources. Take a list of your choices on paper or on your phone when you vote. 

CHOOSE YOUR BEST WAY TO VOTE

  • EARLY VOTING: Oct. 15 to Oct. 31
    This popular option offers flexible hours and places for voting. Find the schedule for your county at ncvoter.org/early. First and last days are busiest; mid-morning and mid-afternoon weekdays are less busy.
  • ELECTION DAY: Nov. 3, 6:30am-7:30pm
    Vote at your precinct’s designated polling place. Find your polling place (and view your ballot) at ncvoter.org/lookup.
  • VOTE BY MAIL: This method has become pretty complicated. You need two witnesses or a notary, plus over $1 in postage, plus a copy of your ID or extra paperwork, plus the risk of slow mail. Follow the directions very carefully and mail early. See ncvoter.org/absentee.
  • If you make a mistake or “spoil” your ballot, ask a poll worker for another one.
  • A tiny percent of voters face issues with their ID or registration. Do not leave without voting. Ask for a Provisional Ballot, fill out the paperwork and follow the instructions you receive. Call the Hotline for help: 888-OUR-VOTE.
  • Useful guidance for College Students is at YouCanVote.org/students.
  • Military and overseas voters have unique rules. See ncvoter.org/military.

Why Change the N.C. Constitution

At the end of your ballot, you can vote Yes or No on 3 changes to the N.C. Constitution. The changes will last for generations. Independent observers caution that the amendments may sound good but they could create problems in the future.  

The current rate is 3.99%. A lower rate could benefit many taxpayers, especially those with high incomes and corporations. But a maximum cap could lead to an increase in sales taxes, fees and other taxes that fall heaviest on low- and moderate-income families.

Property taxes are a major way cities and counties pay for police, schools, sanitation and other services. The amendment doesn’t say what the limit will be in future years. If passed, it could result in local governments increasing fees for water, sewage and other services or increasing local sales taxes.

This requirement is already state law for all voters in North Carolina. The proposed amendment may make people think that is not current law.

QUESTIONS?

Call or text the Hotline: 888-OUR-VOTE (888-687-8683)

This guide is produced by Disability Rights NC, Democracy NC, Common Cause, El Pueblo and other nonprofit groups.

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