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It’s time to cast your vote again, and Durham’s got a packed ballot for the Nov. 3 election.
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Early voting in North Carolina begins Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31 — a 17-day window before Election Day that will decide a hotly contested U.S. Senate seat, every seat in the N.C. General Assembly and three constitutional amendments that could reshape how the state enforces voter ID.
Here is what you need to know before you cast a ballot.
North Carolina’s early voting period starts Thursday, Oct. 15 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 31. Most polling sites are open 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, though each county board of elections sets its own schedule and some counties add weekend hours.
Then it’s Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Big difference between the two:
Not registered yet? Good news: same-day registration is a thing during early voting. Walk into any early voting site in your county, say you want to register, and show:
Durham County’s early voting sites and hours are posted on the State Board of Elections’ (BOE) site at ncsbe.gov. Pick whichever location is most convenient for you.
To find your Election Day precinct, use the BOE’s website, too.
Want to preview the ballot before you go? Look up your registration on the BOE website then scroll to the section labeled “your sample ballot.”
Incumbent Thom Tillis isn’t running again. Four candidates are competing for the open seat, per The News & Observer’s voter guide:
If you live in District 30, your choice is between incumbent Marcia Morey, a Democrat and retired judge seeking reelection, and Ray Ubinger.
Morey, in office since 2017, told the N&O she opposes all three constitutional amendments on the ballot and supports a moratorium on new data centers in North Carolina until the state passes laws protecting the public and natural resources.
Ubinger did not respond to The N&O’s questionnaire.
For all Durham County voters, they will select judges, the county sheriff, district attorney and two people for the Soil and Water Conservation District. Many of these candidates were on the ballot for the March primary election, and are running unopposed.
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Flip your ballot over. You’ll see three amendments. Here’s what they would actually do:
North Carolina already requires photo ID to vote — in person and by mail. This amendment would write that requirement into the state constitution for all forms of voting, not just in-person.
Practically, it doesn’t change how you vote. Republican lawmakers said it’s about giving the existing rule more weight. Most Democrats voted against putting it on the ballot.
If this passes, the General Assembly would set a “levy limit” — a cap on how much revenue local governments can collect from property taxes. The amendment doesn’t say what the limit would be or how it would be calculated. Lawmakers would decide that later.
A Catawba College-YouGov poll of 1,000 North Carolinians found 79% supported the amendment when asked simply, but support dropped to 69% after respondents heard local governments might have to cut services.
The third amendment would cap the state’s income tax at 3.5%.
The amendments are on the ballot regardless of individual races, so your vote on them is separate from your vote on candidates.
Accepted forms of and ID include a driver’s license, U.S. Passport and certain university student ID cards.
If you forget your ID? You can still vote. Fill out an ID exception form and cast a provisional ballot. Your county board of elections will accept it unless they unanimously agree the information on the form is false. You can also come back later and show an ID to prove your eligibility.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 11:53 AM.