NORTH CAROLINA, USA — The polls close at 7:30 p.m. ET in North Carolina, and not long after that, voters will start to see results coming in. Here's what you can expect:
7:30 p.m. – Polls officially close
Polls close at 7:30 p.m., although state law permits the State Board to extend voting hours in the event of significant delays at certain polling locations. If any polling places have interruptions or delays in opening, results reporting for those affected areas will be postponed until all polls are closed.
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. – Absentee (mail) ballot results expected
The first results are expected between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., focusing on absentee-by-mail ballots that have already been approved by county boards of elections.
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. – Early voting results to be released
Early voting results, including in-person early votes and absentee-by-mail votes, will be reported between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. North Carolina saw a record turnout in early voting, with residents taking advantage of the opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. The results dashboard will refresh every 5-10 minutes to reflect updates.
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. – Precinct results begin to arrive
During this time, precinct officials will deliver initial in-person voting results to County Boards of Elections (CBEs), where they will begin to be uploaded for state-wide reporting.
8:30 p.m. - Midnight – Ongoing reporting of precinct results
Between 8:30 p.m. and midnight, precinct-by-precinct results will continue to be uploaded to the Election Results Dashboard, with data refreshing every 5 to 10 minutes as more precincts report.
After Election Night – Additional absentee and provisional ballots added
After election night, county boards will continue to add military and overseas absentee ballots received by the return deadline, as well as provisional ballots approved during the canvassing period. Final results will not be official until this process concludes.
For the latest updates, head to our Elections Results page.