RALEIGH, NC – Later today, the State Board of Elections is expected to approve the early voting plans for 88 counties that were submitted by unanimous agreement of their county board of elections members. Each plan identifies the hours and locations for voting in person during the 19 days before the March 3rd primary.

An analysis of the plans reveals that 45 of the 88 counties adopted the same plan they used in the last mid-term primary election, but 24 reduced either the number of locations or hours offered in 2022.

“It’s encouraging that members of election boards can work in a bipartisan manner to create their plans,” said Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina.  “However, we are concerned that in too many cases, voters are losing opportunities they had four years ago.”

“Early voting is by far the most popular way people vote in North Carolina, so cutting sites or hours can reduce overall turnout or disadvantage one segment of voters versus another,” Phillips said.

The 12 counties without unanimous plans will be considered by the State Board in January.  (See more details below.)

An analysis of the unanimous plans in 88 counties conducted by Bob Hall for Common Cause NC shows that compared to the last mid-term primary in 2022:

— 45 counties, or just over half the 88 with unanimous plans, have the same number of voting sites and daily schedules that they used in 2022. They include Cabarrus, Catawba, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Mitchell, Pasquotank, Robeson, Rowan and Watauga.

— 19 counties dropped a Sunday or one or more Saturdays from their 2022 plans.  By state law, all counties must open locations on the Saturday before election day; other weekend hours are optional.  Republican-leaning counties dominated the group of 10 cutting two Saturdays used in 2022 – Alexander, Caldwell, Clay, Gates, Graham, Lincoln, Onslow, Polk, Surry and Wilkes. Randolph dropped its Sunday, while Gaston and Moore dropped Sunday and a Saturday;

— 5 counties reduced the number of locations – Lenoir, Lincoln, Nash, New Hanover and Stanly. By unanimous vote, Lenoir traded its ambitious 2022 plan for the one used in the 2024 primary, which meant cutting three sites and Sunday voting but adding hours on a third Saturday.

— 10 counties added locations for early voting compared to 2022 and kept the same weekday and weekend schedules. Wake County added four sites, Mecklenburg added three, and Union and Sampson added two.

— 8 counties added one or two Saturdays; none added Sunday hours of voting. After a lengthy debate, reluctant Republican board members in Rockingham County switched their votes and agreed to offer early voting on a second Saturday, likely a smart decision with the heated Phil Berger versus Sam Page race and the contested primary for a new sheriff.

Opening early voting sites on Sunday has triggered intense debate among members of some boards of elections.  Advocates worried that the new Republican-majority county boards would eliminate all Sunday voting.  However, 17 of the 21 counties with unanimous plans that offered Sunday hours of voting in 2022 will have Sunday voting in the 2026 primary.

On the other hand, seven of the 12 county boards of elections without unanimous early voting plans are fighting over keeping a Sunday they used in the 2022 or 2024 primary.

“We believe counties should have robust early voting plans that meet the needs of their citizens,” said Phillips of Common Cause NC.  “Whether or not the plan includes a Sunday should depend on the priorities and practice of local voters, not ideology or funds for staffing.  Counties with a successful experience of Sunday voting have learned how to staff and publicize that option, and it’s a positive sign that a significant number of counties with Sunday hours will provide them again in 2026.”

The 2026 mid-term election is expected to have a relatively high turnout, due to the volatile national political climate and sharply contested races locally and statewide, from county sheriff to U.S. Senate.  In 2018, 53% of registered voters cast ballots in the mid-term primary after President Trump’s first election – that’s the record high turnout in this century for a mid-term primary.  The 51% turnout rate in 2022 ranked second, according to data from the State Board of Elections.

The 12 counties with competing plans that will be decided by the State Board in January include several large counties – Guilford, Cumberland, Pitt and Brunswick.  Here’s a breakdown of the issues that divided their board members:

— In Pitt County, the Republican-majority board voted 3-2 to add a sixth location in a community southeast of Greenville and drop the Sunday hours used in the 2022 and 2024 primaries; the two Democrats on the board want to keep the Sunday rather than add the new site.

— Board members in six other counties agree on voting locations but have competing plans with and without Sunday hours of voting – Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, Greene, Harnett and Wayne.  After reviewing data showing that more voters in Columbus County used Sunday than an additional Saturday, Republican board of elections chair Jillian Edge sided with the two Democrats in a 3-2 vote to keep Sunday hours.  In Wayne County, Democrat Eddie Edwards sided with the Republicans in a 4-1 vote to add a site and eliminate Sunday voting.  In the other four counties, the Democrats’ minority plan adds a Sunday to the Republicans’ majority plan.

— Board members in Alamance, Cumberland and Guilford counties agreed on Sunday voting but couldn’t agree on where to open sites.  The 3-2 vote against locations at NC A&T and UNC-Greensboro has prompted multiple rallies and widespread social media opposition.

— Intense public criticism has also greeted Republican-led 3-2 decisions to close a long-used site at Western Carolina University in Jackson County and close two of the three locations traditionally used in Madison County.  Democratic board members will argue to keep those sites at the State Board’s meeting in January, where a final decision is expected.

VIEW THE ANALYSIS SPREADSHEET HERE

KEY TO SPREADSHEET:  s = number of sites open, e.g. Anson’s plan: 1 site, 1 Sunday, 3 Saturdays (2026 plan adds a Saturday to 2022 plan).  If the entry only has a site number, that means the county plan has no weekend hours other than the mandatory last Saturday; e.g., Alleghany “1 s” means 1 site open only mandatory hours.  “1 s min hours” means the weekday hours end before 7:30 pm, which a county can opt for if its only early voting site is the county elections board office.

Common Cause North Carolina is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.