Early Voting Access Increases For 2026 Statewide

North Carolina will have more early voting sites and hours than it did during the 2022 midterm election.

North Carolina's early voting debate is once again drawing partisan attention ahead of the 2026 general election.

But a new analysis from the John Locke Foundation finds that, statewide, the overall number of early voting sites and hours is slightly higher than it was during the last midterm election in 2022.

The analysis, published Aug. 26 by Andy Jackson, director of the John Locke Foundation's Civitas Center for Public Integrity, compared the 2026 early voting plans with those used in 2022. Jackson used a dataset compiled by Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper.

According to the analysis, North Carolina will have 367 early voting sites in 2026, compared with 359 in 2022 — an increase of about 2.2%.

The total number of early voting hours is also increasing, from 55,147 in 2022 to 56,453 this year, a 2.4% increase.

That comes as the state's registered voter population has grown by about 6.6% since 2022, according to the analysis.

Jackson argues that the increase in voters compared with the increase in sites does not necessarily translate into significantly less access, pointing to relatively low utilization at many early voting locations during the 2022 election.

The experience can be different at individual sites and during peak voting periods, however, particularly on the final Friday and during evening hours.

Disputes over early voting

The numbers come after another contentious round of debate among county election boards.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections was required to settle early voting plans for 20 county boards that could not reach unanimous agreement. The State Board's Aug. 20 meeting included disputes over locations, dates and hours.

The State Board considered plans from counties including Jackson, Guilford, Pitt, Cumberland, Granville and Columbus, among others.

North Carolina law establishes minimum early voting requirements while allowing counties to provide additional sites, hours and weekend opportunities.

The State Board says counties can expand access beyond the minimum requirements by adding locations, extending hours or offering additional weekend voting.

Sunday voting drops

One of the most politically contentious issues has been Sunday voting.

Jackson's analysis found that 40 counties offered Sunday voting in 2022. That number will fall to 17 counties in 2026.

Sunday voting has become a political flashpoint because Democratic voters have historically made up a larger share of the Sunday early-voting electorate.

According to the analysis, Democrats accounted for 46.2% of Sunday early voters in 2022, compared with 37.7% of early voters overall.

Jackson also notes that the concentration of Sunday voting in several large urban counties contributes to the difference.

State law allows counties to offer early voting on the first two Saturdays and two Sundays of the early voting period. The final Saturday is required.

Early voting locations on college campuses have also been a point of contention.

The number of campus early voting locations is declining from 11 in 2022 to nine in 2026, according to the analysis.

What it means for voters

For voters, the statewide numbers show a relatively modest change from the last midterm election.

There are more early voting locations and more total hours available statewide, even though Sunday voting has declined and some campus locations have changed.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections says voters can cast an early ballot at any early voting site in their county, rather than being restricted to a specific location.

The 2026 general election early voting period begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Election Day polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.