No Local Races in Rutherford County — Early Voting Starts Elsewhere in NC

In-person early voting begins this Thursday, October 16, for the 2025 municipal elections in 380 cities, towns, and villages across 88 North Carolina counties — but Rutherford County is not among them.

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Rutherford County does not have any municipal races on the ballot this year. No towns within the county are scheduled to hold municipal elections in 2025, since most local governments here operate on even-year election cycles. That means voters here will next head to the polls during the 2026 primary elections, set for March 3, 2026.

Across the rest of the state, early voting for municipal contests runs from Thursday, October 16, through 3 p.m. Saturday, November 1, with Election Day on Tuesday, November 4.

Voters in participating municipalities will be selecting mayors, town and city council members, and in some places, district commissioners or board of education members. A few towns will also have local referenda on their ballots.

To see whether your town is holding an election this year, visit the State Board’s Upcoming Elections page and check the Municipal Elections Map or use the Voter Search Tool at ncsbe.gov. If a sample ballot is attached to your voter record, you are eligible to vote this November.

For voters in towns that do have elections, same-day registration will be available during early voting, and absentee voting is already underway in municipalities that permit it.

“Municipal elections are a huge undertaking across North Carolina. We appreciate the hard work of our county officials and poll workers in administering these important elections,” said Sam Hayes, Executive Director of the N.C. State Board of Elections.

While 2025 is a quiet election year for Rutherford County residents, voters are encouraged to verify their registration and prepare for the 2026 countywide and statewide elections — when local offices, including three of the five Rutherford County Commission seats, will be on the ballot.