NC ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES: National and state races down the ballot

With the election underway in North Carolina, The Chronicle is providing insights into national and state-level races and recapping the results.

Republicans maintain control of House

11/13/24 10:35 p.m.

The GOP has officially preserved its control of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a 10:31 p.m. call by the Associated Press. Republicans have won 218 seats to Democrats’ 208, with nine still remaining to be called.

The GOP first gained a majority in the 2022 midterms and held a 220-212 majority — with three vacancies — going into the election.

The victory effectively gives the GOP control over all three branches of the federal government, with a Republican president, majorities in both chambers of Congress and a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

Thursday post-election race updates

If the leading candidates in each race hold their current margins of less than one percent, Republicans will have a 71-49 majority in the state House and a 31-19 majority in the state Senate. 

The state Supreme Court race has not changed much either, with Republican Jefferson Griffin leading incumbent Democrat Allison Riggs 50.08% to 49.92% — a margin of 8,342 votes — per the NCSBE. If the final margin is less than 10,000 votes or 0.5%, the race will go to a mandatory recount according to state law. The recount would take place between Nov. 15 and Nov. 26.

-Samanyu Gangappa

Council of State, Court of Appeals races called

11/06/24 7:03 p.m.

As of 6:25 p.m., all Council of State races have been called. Here are the results:

Governor: Josh Stein (D) defeated Mark Robinson (R). AP called the race at 8:50 p.m. Tuesday.

Lieutenant governor: Rachel Hunt (D) defeated Hal Weatherman (R).

Attorney general: Jeff Jackson (D) defeated Dan Bishop (R).

Secretary of state: Incumbent Elaine Marshall (D) defeated Chad Brown (R).

State auditor: Dave Boliek (R) defeated incumbent Jessica Holmes (D).

Commissioner of agriculture: Incumbent Steve Troxler (R) defeated Sarah Tabler (D).

Commissioner of insurance: Mike Causey (R) defeated Natasha Marcus (D).

Commissioner of labor: Luke Farley (R) defeated Braxton Winston II (D).

Superintendent of public instruction: Mo Green (D) defeated Michele Morrow (R).

State treasurer: Brad Briner (R) defeated Wesley Harris (D).

In six of the 10 races, the Democratic nominee performed better than Harris did against Trump, either losing by a narrower margin or winning their races outright. In fact, Democrats gained a seat on the Council of State, breaking an eight-year GOP majority. Full results can be found on the NCSBE website.

The final state Court of Appeals contest was also called. Republican Tom Murry won against Democrat incumbent Carolyn Jennings Thompson. With Murry’s victory, the GOP carried all three seats up for election.

Whether the GOP maintains its supermajority in the General Assembly is still unclear. In the state Senate, Republicans have won 30 seats to Democrats’ 18. Both parties lead narrowly in the two uncalled races. In the N.C. House, the GOP has won 70 seats to Democrats’ 48, putting the Republicans two seats short of a supermajority.

They lead in one of the two uncalled districts. The margin in both seats is under one percent.

-Samanyu Gangappa

Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech, 4:25 p.m.

11/06/24 4:39 p.m.

Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech at Howard University, her alma mater, beginning at 4:25 p.m.

There, she thanked her supporters for “placing their trust in [her]” throughout her election campaign. She noted the importance of accepting the election results and supporting a peaceful transfer of power.

“We owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States and loyalty to our conscience and to our God.” Harris said. “My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, ‘While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.’”

In a message to the young voters, she noted that the fight takes time, adding that the result of the election “does not mean we won’t win.”

“The fight for our country is always worth it,” she said, later concluding her speech with the message, "Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars."

-Abby Spiller

Donald Trump elected 47th U.S. president

11/06/24 5:42 a.m.

Republican nominee Donald Trump was elected 47th president of the United States with 277 electoral votes. The Associated Press called the race at 5:37 a.m. after Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes pushed the Republican nominee over the 270 threshold.

Read the full story here.

-Abby Spiller

Mo Green elected N.C. superintendent of instruction

11/06/24 3:44 a.m.

Democrat Mo Green defeated Republican Michele Morrow in the race for N.C. superintendent of public instruction. The election became one of the most prolific down-ballot races in the nation due to Morrow’s controversial past comments and presence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6., 2021.

As of 3:39 a.m., Green had won 51.09% of the vote to Morrow’s 48.91%.

Green is also a 1988 graduate of Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and a 1991 graduate of the Law School.

In other races, Republicans are holding on to their lead in the General Assembly, retaining their majority in both houses with a 30-18 victory in the state Senate and a 69-47 margin thus far in the state House. The remaining races are yet to be called.

-Samanyu Gangappa

Trump speaks at watch party amid favorable vote counts

11/06/24 2:42 a.m.

Trump took the stage at around 2:26 a.m. at a GOP election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president — and your 45th president,” he said. “… Every single day I will be fighting for you … I will not rest until I deliver the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and what you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America.”

At the time he began his remarks, he was leading Harris 267 to 214 in the Electoral College. 

“We made history for a reason tonight,” Trump said.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

Voting ends across the country

11/06/24 1:02 a.m.

Voting has officially ended for the 2024 general election, as the last polls closed at 9 a.m. local time in Alaska, 1 a.m. on the east coast.

Trump continues to lead in the presidential election, with 246 electoral votes to Harris’ 210. The key battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Arizona still have not been called. North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes were called for Trump, alongside Georgia’s 16 votes.

Brad Briner (R) has won the state treasurer election, defeating Wesley Harris (D). 

In the N.C. General Assembly, Republicans have won 27 state Senate seats to Democrats’ 16, retaining their majority in the 50-seat chamber. In the state House, Republicans have won 56 seats to Democrats’ 43.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

Republicans win control of Senate

11/06/24 12:44 a.m.

The GOP succeeded in flipping the U.S. Senate.

The Associated Press officially announced the Republican victory at 12:07 a.m. Republicans hold the majority at 51 seats to Democrats’ 42, with seven seats still up for grabs.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

The 12:30 a.m. report:

11/06/24 12.40 a.m.

Republicans have won the positions of agriculture commissioner, insurance commissioner, and labor commissioner in North Carolina

Agriculture commissioner: Incumbent Steve Troxler (R) defeated Sarah Taber (D).

Insurance commissioner: Incumbent Mike Causey (R) defeated Natasha Marcus (D).

Labor commissioner: Luke Farley (R) defeated Braxton Winston II.

Here’s an update on the state of the N.C. General Assembly, where Democrats are looking to break the supermajority the GOP has held since last year. To do so, Democrats need to flip one seat in either the state House or state Senate.

State House: Republicans have won 49 seats to Democrats’ 41, per the Associated Press. The GOP currently leads Democrats 70 seats to 50 seats.
State Senate: Republicans have won 21 seats to Democrats’ 16. The GOP currently leads Democrats 31 seats to 19 seats.

If the GOP loses its supermajority, it will not have the votes to override incoming Governor Josh Stein’s vetoes and pass bills along party lines.

In Durham County, Democratic nominees have cruised to reelection:

State senate district 20: Natalie Murdock (D) has won the race against Christopher Partain (R), 72% to 28%.

State senate district 22: Sophia Chitlik (D) has won the race against Ray Ubinger (L), 86% to 14%.

State house district 2: Ray Jeffers (D) has won the race against Jason Chambers (R), 57% to 43%.

State house district 29: Vernetta Alston (D) has won the race unopposed.

State house district 30: Marcia Morey (D) has won the race unopposed.

State house district 31: Zack Hawkins (D) has won the race unopposed.

Meanwhile, in Congress, incumbent Democrat Don Davis leads Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout, 49.46% to 47.90% per the NCSBE.

We’ve also got more votes in on judicial elections:

State supreme court (seat 6): Jefferson Griffin (R) leads incumbent Allison Riggs (D) 50.19% to 49.81%.

State court of appeals (seat 12): Tom Murray (R) leads Carolyn Jennings Thompson (D) 50.7% to 49.3%.

State court of appeals (seat 14): Valerie Zachary (R) has won the race against Ed Eldred (D). 

State court of appeals (seat 15): Chris Freeman (R) has won the race against Martin Moore (D).

-Samanyu Gangappa

Midnight update:

11/06/24 12:08 a.m.

It’s 12 a.m., but the vote count hasn’t slowed down. 

Polls in Hawaii have just closed.

In swing states, Trump leads in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona and has won North Carolina. Harris leads in none, and Nevada has not begun counting ballots. Trump has held his nationwide electoral lead, winning 230 electoral votes to Harris’ 209.

Here is how the Council of State races are progressing:

Governor: Josh Stein (D) won the election. AP called the race at 8:50 p.m.

Lieutenant governor: Rachel Hunt (D) leads Hal Weatherman 49.73% to 47.46%.

Attorney general: Jeff Jackson (D) won the election.

Secretary of state: Elaine Marshall (D) leads Chad Brown (R) 51.21% to 48.79%.

State auditor: Dave Boliek (R) leads Jessica Holmes (D) 49.16% to 47.80%.

Commissioner of agriculture: Steve Troxler (R) leads Sarah Tabler (D) 52.42% to 45.14%.

Commissioner of insurance: Mike Causey (R) leads Natasha Marcus (D) 51.93% to 48.07%.

Commissioner of labor: Luke Farley (R) leads Braxton Winston II (D) 52.58% to 47.42%.

Superintendent of public instruction: Mo Green (D) leads Michele Morrow (R) 51.33% to 48.67%.

State treasurer: Brad Briner (R) leads Wesley Harris (D) 52.28% to 47.72%.

A quick detail that’s easy to miss: currently, Republicans hold a 6-4 majority on the Council of State. Democrats have won two races — Governor and Attorney General — and are leading in 3. Republicans lead in 5. Even if Harris loses the Tar Heel State, Democrats could make gains tonight, breaking the Republican majority on the Council of State for the first time since 2017.

We’re still tracking the 10 N.C. counties that have voted alongside the rest of the country in four out of the five most recent election cycles. Here’s how they’re currently reporting in the presidential race.

• Bladen County: Trump leads Harris 60% to 39.5%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Buncombe County: Harris leads Trump 61.7% to 37%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Cumberland County: Harris leads Trump 53.7% to 44.2%, with 23% of the votes counted.
• Forsyth County: Harris leads Trump 55.8% to 43%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Granville County: Trump leads Harris 54.3% to 44.8%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Martin County: Trump leads Harris 54.9% to 44.5%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Nash County: Trump leads Harris 50.5% to 48.6%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Pitt County: Harris leads Trump 52.3% to 46.7%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Wake County: Harris leads Trump 61.9% to 36.4%, with 99% of the votes counted.
• Wilson County: Trump leads Harris 50.2% to 48.4%, with 20% of the votes counted.

Harris and Trump are currently tied 5-5 in the predictive counties.

-Samanyu Gangappa and Zoe Kolenovsky

Jeff Jackson elected N.C. attorney general

11/05/24 11:29 p.m.

Rep. Jeff Jackson was elected attorney general for North Carolina after his Republican challenger, Rep. Dan Bishop, conceded the race.

As of 11:27 p.m., Jackson had won 51.82% of the vote to Bishop’s 48.18%, according to the NCSBE.

Jackson is the incumbent U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 14th congressional district, where he has served since 2023. Jackson was previously a state senator.

The race was one of the most closely watched down-ballot races in the country.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

North Carolina called for Trump

11/05/24 11:21 p.m.

With 89% of votes counted, the Associated Press called North Carolina for Republican nominee Donald Trump at 11:18 p.m. 

Trump currently leads Harris in the state with 50.8% of the vote to Harris’ 48.1%.

-Samanyu Gangappa

State of the race at 11 p.m. 

11/05/24 11:05 p.m.

Trump continues to lead nationally with 214 electoral votes to Harris’ 179. 

Trump continues to lead Harris 50.72% to 47.85% in North Carolina with 86% of votes counted. Although Harris has narrowed Trump’s margins, it remains to be seen if her gains will be sufficient to overtake her Republican challenger. No N.C. counties have flipped yet.

Here is how the vote stands in bellwether counties, all of which have voted for the winner since 2004:

Caswell County: Trump leads Harris 61.86% to 37.29%.

Hyde County: Trump leads Harris 60.44% to 38.52%.

Jackson County: Trump leads Harris 53.9% to 44.6%.

Most Council of State elections remain on a knife’s edge too:

Governor: Josh Stein (D) won the election. AP called the race at 8:50 p.m.

Lieutenant governor: Rachel Hunt (D) leads Hal Weatherman 49.66% to 47.62%.

Attorney general: Jeff Jackson (D) leads Dan Bishop (R) 51.54% to 48.46%.

Secretary of state: Elaine Marshall (D) leads Chad Brown (R) 51.08% to 48.92%.

State auditor: Dave Boliek (R) leads Jessica Holmes (D) 49.29% to 47.76%.

Commissioner of agriculture: Steve Troxler (R) leads Sarah Tabler (D) 52.49% to 45.14%.

Commissioner of insurance: Mike Causey (R) leads Natasha Marcus (D) 52.01% to 47.99%.

Commissioner of labor: Luke Farley (R) leads Braxton Winston II (D) 52.62% to 47.38%.

Superintendent of public instruction: Mo Green (D) leads Michele Morrow (R) 51.18% to 48.82%.

State treasurer: Brad Briner (R) leads Wesley Harris (D) 52.33% to 47.67%.

Here’s how the U.S. House races look:

NC-01: Don Davis (D) leads Laurie Buckhout (R) 52.56% to 44.77%.

NC-04: Valerie Foushee (D) won the election. AP called the race at 8:23 p.m.

The state Supreme Court race remains neck-and-neck, with incumbent Allison Riggs (D) leading challenger Jefferson G. Griffin (R) 50.12% to 49.88%.

-Samanyu Gangappa

Duke alumna Angela Alsobrooks wins Maryland Senate seat

11/05/24 10:25 p.m.

Alsobrooks, Trinity ‘93, secured a seat in the U.S. Senate representing Maryland. She currently serves as executive of Prince George’s County in Maryland.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:32 p.m. with 67% of the votes counted. Alsobrooks beat her Republican challenger, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, 52.5% to 45.1%.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

It’s now 10 p.m. Here’s where key races stand:

11/05/24 10:05 p.m.

Polls have closed in all crucial battleground states: Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada.

Trump leads Harris 52% to 47% in North Carolina, per the NCSBE. According to the Associated Press, Trump maintains his edge in electoral votes 198-99.

The AP estimates that 65% of votes have been counted.

The referendum to amend North Carolina’s constitution’s provision against noncitizen voting has passed 77.3% to 22.7%, per the Associated Press.

Here’s where Council of State races stand:

Governor: Josh Stein (D) won the election. AP called the race at 8:50 p.m.

Lieutenant governor: Hal Weatherman (R) leads Rachel Hunt (D) 48.73% to 48.56%.

Attorney general: Jeff Jackson (D) leads Dan Bishop (R) 50.35% to 49.65%.

Secretary of state: Elaine Marshall (D) leads Chad Brown (R) 50.04% to 49.96%.

State auditor: Dave Boliek (R) leads Jessica Holmes (D) 50.37% to 46.73%.

Commissioner of agriculture: Steve Troxler (R) leads Sarah Tabler (D) 53.68% to 44.01%.

Commissioner of insurance: Mike Causey (R) leads Natasha Marcus (D) 53.10% to 46.90%.

Commissioner of labor: Luke Farley (R) leads Braxton Winston II (D) 53.65% to 46.35%.

Superintendent of public instruction: Mo Green (D) leads Michele Morrow (R) 50.14% to 49.86%.

State treasurer: Brad Briner (R) leads Wesley Harris (D) 53.31% to 46.69%.

Although major news organizations called the governor’s race over an hour ago, Stein was already outperforming other Democrats in opinion polling. 

Here’s the vote count for statewide judicial races:

State supreme court (seat 6): Jefferson G. Griffin (R) leads Allison Riggs (D) 50.98% to 49.02%.

Court of appeals (seat 12): Tom Murray (R) leads Carolyn Jennings Thompson (D) 51.88% to 48.12%

Court of appeals (seat 14): Valerie Zachary (R) leads Ed Eldred (D) 53.21% to 46.79%

Court of appeals (seat 15): Chris Freeman (R) leads Martin Moore (D) 52.7% to 47.3%

-Samanyu Gangappa and Zoe Kolenovsky

A look at some key N.C. counties

11/05/24 9:37 p.m.

As of 9:30 p.m., 158,178 of 249,189 ballots had been counted in Durham County, with eight of 59 precincts reporting.

There are three counties in North Carolina that have voted for the presidential candidate that ultimately carried the state in the five most recent election cycles. Here’s how they’re currently reporting in the presidential race:

Caswell County: Trump leads Harris 61.9% to 37.3%, with 99% of the votes counted.

Hyde County has not yet started tabulating ballots.

Jackson County: Trump leads Harris 53.5% to 45.2%, with 86% of the votes counted.

While no N.C. counties have consistently predicted the presidential candidate in the five most recent election cycles, 10 have voted alongside the rest of the country four out of five times. Here’s how they’re currently reporting in the presidential race.

Bladen County: Trump leads Harris 59.8% to 39.7%, with 98% of the votes counted.

Buncombe County: Harris leads Trump 60.5% to 38.1%, with 99% of the votes counted.

Cumberland County has not yet started tabulating ballots.

Forsyth County: Harris leads Trump 56.6% to 42.5%, with 63% of the votes counted.

Granville County: Trump leads Harris 53.7% to 45.4%, with 92% of the votes counted.

Martin County: Trump leads Harris 55% to 44.4%, with 95% of the votes counted.

Nash County: Trump leads Harris 51.5% to 47.8%, with 92% of the votes counted.

Pitt County: Harris leads Trump 52.3% to 46.6%, with 99% of the votes counted.

Wake County: Harris leads Trump 63.9% to 34.8%, with 74% of the votes counted.

Wilson County: Harris leads Trump 57.4% to 41.0%, with 12% of the votes counted.

Harris is currently leading 5-4 in the 10 counties, with one not yet reporting.

Read more of our reporting on North Carolina’s voting history here.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

North Carolina constitutional amendment passes

11/05/24 9:18 p.m.

North Carolinians voted in favor of an amendment to the state constitution changing the language around voter qualifications in the state.

The Associated Press called the result at 8:41 p.m. with 41% of votes counted. Around 77.2% were in favor and 22.8% were opposed.

Voters were asked if they were in favor of or opposed to approving an amendment “to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this state.”

The previous statute allowed for all citizens — whether born in the U.S. or naturalized — to vote in state elections.

-Abby Spiller

It’s now 9 p.m. Here’s how races stand

11/05/24 9:00 p.m.

Polls closed just over 90 minutes ago. Since our last update, Josh Stein has been elected N.C. governor. The Associated Press called the race at 8:50 p.m. Rep. Valerie Foushee has also won re-election in North Carolina’s 4th congressional district. 

Trump leads Harris 51.7% to 47.3% in the state, per the NCSBE. The Associated Press estimates that 36% of votes have been counted. Neither candidate has flipped any counties from 2020. In order to win the state, Harris must run up strong margins in Durham, Wake and Orange counties while holding on to Mecklenburg and New Hanover counties, home to Charlotte and Wilmington, respectively. 

Currently, she leads in Durham County by 69.1%, Wake by 29.01%, Orange by 53.7076.3%, Mecklenburg by 39.91% and New Hanover by 26.85%. None of these counties have fully reported results yet.

Longtime bellwethers Caswell, Hyde and Jackson counties are gradually reporting results. None have finished counting ballots. 

In Jackson County, Trump leads Harris 51.63% to 46.78% with 4% of votes counted, per the NCSBE. Vote counting has not begun in Hyde County. Trump leads in Caswell County 57.79% to 39.49%.

In the state’s 1st congressional district, Democrat Don Davis leads Republican Laurie Buckhout 52.25% to 45.19%.

The attorney general race remains competitive. Democratic Rep. Jeff Jackson leads GOP Rep. Dan Bishop 50.36% to 49.64%., a razor-thin margin of only 16,845 votes. 

-Samanyu Gangappa

Josh Stein elected N.C. governor

11/05/24 8:32 p.m.

Josh Stein has won the election for governor of North Carolina over Republican Mark Robinson. He will succeed term-limited incumbent Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, on Jan. 1, 2025.

Stein has 54.47% and Robinson 41.23% as of 8:38 p.m., per the NCSBE.

CNN called the race at 8:32 p.m., with 264 precincts completely counted. Read the full story here.

-Samanyu Gangappa

Valerie Foushee wins reelection in North Carolina’s 4th congressional district 

11/05/24 8:30 p.m.

Valerie Foushee was reelected to represent North Carolina’s 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:23 p.m.

This will mark Foushee’s second term serving the district, which includes Duke and Durham. She succeeded now-professor emeritus of political science David Price in 2023, when he retired.

As of 8:27 p.m., Foushee had 74.9% of the vote, per the NCSBE. Her Republican challenger, Eric Blankenburg, had 23.6% with no precincts fully reporting. Libertarian Party candidate Guy Meilleur had 1.5% of the vote.

-Abby Spiller

It’s 8 p.m. Here’s where North Carolina stands

11/05/24 8:03 p.m.

Polls have been closed for just over 30 minutes in the Tar Heel state, with the remaining two precincts that had voting hours extended due to technical difficulties closing at 8 p.m. 

In the presidential race, Harris currently leads in the state with 52.08% of the vote, per the NCSBE. Trump has 46.67% of the vote, followed by Stein with 0.37%. Eight precincts of 2,658 are fully reporting results in the state.

Nationwide, Trump currently leads with 95 electoral votes to Harris’ 35, per the Associated Press.

Democrat Josh Stein leads in the gubernatorial election with 58.93% of the vote, compared to Republican Mark Robinson’s 36.87%.

North Carolina’s U.S. House delegation 

In the 1st Congressional District, Democrat Don Davis, the incumbent, leads with 61.78% of the vote. Republican Laurie Buckhout has 36.17% of the vote. 

In the 4th District, home to Durham County, Democrat Valerie Foushee, the incumbent, leads her Republican challenger Eric Blankenburg 78.95% to 19.56%.

A plurality of the votes counted have come from heavily Democratic Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, and Wake County, home to Raleigh.

-Zoe Kolenovsky and Samanyu Gangappa

Polls close in North Carolina

11/05/24 7:31 p.m.

Voting has officially ended for the 2024 general election in North Carolina.

Polling locations closed across the state at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, although one precinct in Wilson County and another in Burke County had their operating hours extended to 8 p.m. due to technical difficulties earlier in the day.

Voters who are already in line at closing time will still be allowed to cast their ballot.

Polls have already closed in Georgia, the other major southern swing state. The next wave of poll closures will come at 8 p.m. — including Pennsylvania, where much of the national attention has focused.

Other battleground states to watch include Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, where voting will end at 9 p.m. EDT, and Nevada, where polls will close at 10 p.m. The last ballots for this election cycle are set to be cast by 1 a.m. EDT, when polls close in Alaska.

-Zoe Kolenovsky

NCSBE announces post-election ballot audit

11/05/24 4:50 p.m.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections announced that it will be randomly selecting precincts, early voting locations and absentee-by-mail ballots in every county to audit post-election. The audit process is required by state law for the 2024 general election, according to the Election Day announcement.

In the auditing process, the two voting groups from each of North Carolina’s 100 county boards of elections will count the votes for the presidential election by hand. After, those numbers will be compared with the official voting machine counts.

The process will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and will be accessible to the public online or over the phone.

Election audits are conducted to detect equipment tampering, ballot stuffing and voting machine or counting errors, according to the board’s website.

-Abby Spiller

Two precincts’ voting hours extended

11/05/24 4:43 p.m.

Polls in almost all N.C. precincts are set to close at 7:30 p.m. Voters waiting in line when polling locations close will still be allowed to cast a ballot.

Gardens Elementary School, a precinct in Wilson County, has extended its voting hours by 30 minutes to 8 p.m. According to a report from WRAL, some voters were unable to cast ballots and were turned away this morning after poll workers were “unable to print authorization to vote forms.” Poll workers reportedly did not note down contact information for voters turned away. 

Pilot Mountain, a precinct in Burke County, was also given an extension until 8 p.m. due to a technical issue. 

The N.C. State Board of Elections held an emergency meeting earlier this afternoon to consider and approve the delay. The board voted unanimously to approve the extension for Gardens Elementary School and 4-1 for Pilot Mountain, with one Republican member dissenting. 

Times have not been extended in counties affected by Hurricane Helene. The NCSBE previously approved a number of changes to absentee and in-person voting processes for 13 counties in western North Carolina most impacted by the storm.

-Samanyu Gangappa

The Final Forecasts

11/05/24 3:46 p.m.

Pundits and analysts have frozen their forecasts as of this morning. Here are the election predictions for contested races across the state:

President

Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Leans Republican

Decision Desk HQ: Toss-up

538: Toss-up

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

Race to the White House: Toss-up

Governor

Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Likely Democrat

Cook Political Report: Likely Democrat

Race to the White House: Safe Democrat

U.S. House of Representatives, NC-01

Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Leans Democrat 

Decision Desk HQ: Leans Democrat

538: Likely Democrat

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

Race to the White House: Likely Democrat

U.S. House of Representatives, NC-04

Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Safe Democrat

Decision Desk HQ: Safe Democrat

538: Safe Democrat

Cook Political Report: Safe Democrat

Race to the White House: Safe Democrat

For those of you wondering why we don’t have predictions of down ballot contests: Polling data is usually hard to come by for down ballot races, even if they are dominating the headlines. As a result, pundits typically do not issue forecasts for them. This week, there was only one nonpartisan poll covering North Carolina’s statewide races aside from the gubernatorial race, which only covered the races for attorney general and superintendent of instruction.

-Samanyu Gangappa

N.C. governor: Comparing Stein and Cooper’s bids

11/05/24 2:56 p.m.

In the race for the N.C. governor’s mansion, Democratic nominee Josh Stein has a double-digit lead per the most recent opinion polls — a stark departure from previous election cycles. If Stein wins by a significant margin tonight, it would go against both his and incumbent Gov. Roy Cooper’s electoral histories.

When he first ran for statewide office in the 2016 attorney general election, then-state Sen. Stein won with 50.27% of the vote, a margin of just 24,613 votes. In 2020, Stein’s win was even narrower, winning 50.1% in a race that came down to 13,624 votes. The race was not called until two weeks after Election Day.

Cooper was Stein’s predecessor as attorney general. In 2016, Cooper won the gubernatorial election by just over 10,000 votes, securing 49% of the overall vote. His 2020 victory was more substantial, when he won by a 4.5% margin. 

Both candidates — Cooper and Stein — outperformed the Democratic Party’s nominees for president in their respective down-ballot races in the past two cycles. Stein outperformed Cooper in 2016, winning the attorney general position with 50.27% of the vote compared to Cooper’s gubernatorial victory with 49%. In 2020, Cooper did better than Stein, reelected with 51.5% of the vote compared to Stein’s 50.1%.

Polls could also be overestimating Stein as they did with Cooper in 2020, when he led then-Lt. Gov. Dan Forest by eight to 19 points in all but one poll taken in the final two weeks before Election Day. Though, Cooper has historically been more popular than Stein. While Stein had a 37% favorability rating compared to 18% unfavorable in March, Cooper’s approval rating stood at 48.1% to 36.4% disapproval the following month.

-Samanyu Gangappa

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