Tuesday, Nov. 5, is Election Day. The final polls closed at 8 p.m., but anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. will be able to vote. Find your assigned polling place, a sample ballot and more here.

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10:24 p.m.: The first ballots from Election Day voting arrived Tuesday night at the Wake County Board of Elections.

One of the workers at the elections offices said it has been a very long day, but also rewarding.

WRAL News spoke with the county's Director of Elections, who said they expect the results to be uploaded to the State Board of Elections' website by 11 p.m.

9:08 p.m.: Republican gubernatorial candidate and Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson conceded the governor's race to Attorney General Josh Stein.

"I'm not sad one bit," Robinson said. "I wanted this so bad for you, I wanted this for the people of North Carolina."

Several news outlets, including NBC News and the Associated Press, called the race for Stein just after 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, Robinson said he was disappointed people focused so much on his past social media comments during the campaign, rather than debating policy.

8:54 p.m.: Many election officials in western North Carolina are expecting to have Election Day votes ahead of early and mail-in votes.

Much of western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene, and it left many questioning how elections would go in the area. Corine Duncan, Director of Elections in Buncombe County, said it meant so much that the area had record numbers of voting.

"Seeing people come out, despite having to drive around broken roads and trees down, and who've lost people close to them, is awe-inspiring," she said.

More than 116,000 people voted early in the election in Buncombe County, according to Duncan.

8:15 p.m.: State Attorney General Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein is expected to become the next governor of North Carolina, according to NBC News.

With just under 8% of votes, Stein led his Republican challenger Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson with 59% of the vote to Robinson’s 37%. Candidates for the Libertarian, Green and Constitution parties were each receiving less than 3% of the vote.

Stein, the state’s attorney general, has held a commanding lead over Robinson, the state’s lieutenant governor, in the race to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who was term-limited and not allowed to run for reelection.

Stein has not trailed nor led by less than five points in a single poll since July, about the time his campaign unleashed ads pummeling Robinson for comments about abortion.

You track the results as they come in here.

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8 p.m.: The final polls in two North Carolina counties have closed.

A polling site in Wilson County and another in Burke County were delayed due to an issue the polling sites had with printing "authorization to vote" forms.

A lawyer for the North Carolina State Board of Elections said election officials would not start counting votes until the polls closed at 8 p.m. in both counties.

Several people are still in line to vote at the polling station at Gardners Elementary School, with at least 10 people leaving before they could vote.

7:34 p.m.: The polls have closed for several counties in North Carolina on Election Night and Vice President Kamala Harris has an early lead among North Carolina voters.

The state has released it's first group of results from those who voted early in person. Harris as of 7:34 p.m., had more 42,000-vote lead over former President Donald Trump,

The race is still too close to call in the state and millions of votes still need to be counted.

7:05 p.m.: Ballot counting will begin in 30 minutes for counties in the state, as polling issued delayed voters for several minutes earlier Tuesday.

According to NCSBE lawyer Paul Cox, the board extended voting hours at the Wilson County voting precinct, Gardners Elementary School on 5404 N.C. Highway 42 in Elm City, until 8 p.m. The board's decision was unanimous.

Cox said all of Wilson County will be delayed in releasing its results, due to this. But it won't affect anywhere else in the state being able to report their results as normal.

“Results for the entire state will not be held if the board were to extend voting in one county. Only results for that county would be held," he said.

6:15 p.m.: Less than two hours remain until poll workers begin tabulating ballots in the 2024 elections

Ballot counting will begin around 7:30 p.m., around the same time polls close across the state. The state expects to start releasing mail-in voting numbers shortly after polls close.

Nelle Hayes said she got involved to work as a poll worker so she wouldn't have the questions she had during the 2020 elections.

"The 2020 election, I was disappointed in," she said. "I felt like there were so many questions that I felt maybe it was time I stepped up and took a more active role. It's worked out very well, because I've been very pleased with what I've found out about the Wake County Board of Elections and how they've taken care and time with each ballot."

6 p.m.: Several people are still in line at a Wilson County polling site after a 30-minute delay earlier Tuesday.

The State Board of Elections extended voting times at the polling location until 8 p.m. One voter said seeing what happened earlier was concerning.

"Some people got others to hold their place in line so they could wait," one voter said.

The State Board of Elections is expected to begin tabulating the results at 7:30 p.m. across the state, with the first results for mail-in ballots being released shortly after.

4:35 p.m.: The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said a voter argued with a poll worker Tuesday at a voting site in the county.

According to the sheriff's office, the argument happened between a poll worker and a voter at Elevation Methodist Church in Benson.

Volunteers at the polling site told WRAL News the argument started after a poll worker told a woman she did not have the proper identification at the polling site. While the volunteers said the woman assaulted the poll worker, deputies did not say if anyone was assaulted.

"If an assault occurred, it took place outside of our presence and all parties were advised of their right to speak with a magistrate," A spokesperson with the sheriff's office said.

4:30 p.m.: State election officials have extended voting times at a second location.

According to the State Board of Elections, a voting precinct at the Rocky Church on U.S. Highway 64 in Burke County will be open until 8 p.m.

The BOE said voting was delayed at the precinct was delayed Tuesday morning due to a temporary printer issued which prevented poll workers from printing "authorization to vote" forms for people waiting to vote.

This was the second polling site delayed by printing issues in the morning. A polling site in Wilson County extended voting until 8 p.m. due to a similar issue.

4:05 p.m.: 40 members of the North Carolina National Guard have been put on state active duty.

According to the National Guard, all are on the cyber team and are working with North Carolina Emergency Management to monitor networks to make sure nothing is happening.

3:30 p.m.: State elections officials made the decision to extend voting by 30 minutes to 8 p.m. at Gardners Elementary School, a voting precinct in Wilson County, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE).

The decision was made in an emergency meeting, where NCSBE officials learned some voters in Wilson County couldn’t vote from 6:40 a.m. to 8:07 a.m. because poll workers were unable to print authorization to vote forms. The polling site at 5404 N.C. Highway 42 in Elm City did not switch to a manual backup option, which would be protocol, according to the NCSBE.

An estimated 10 voters left the voting site without voting, and poll workers did not get their contact information. The board considered extending voting for the same time period that the polling site was not in operation (which would be 8:57 p.m.) but instead opted for a shorter time and extended voting to 8 p.m.

3:15 p.m.: WRAL News visited several Raleigh polling sites on Tuesday, including Green Road Community Center, Optimist Park, Oberlin Regional Library and Pullen Community Center, where online records show there are about 6,500 people registered to vote. In a mid-day lull, there were no long lines reported in the Triangle on Tuesday afternoon, which could also be because 4.5 million people, about 57% of North Carolina registered voters, voted early in this election.

Lines are expected to increase at the polls as people get off work. Some voters told WRAL News they were feeling stressed about election night.

"You always want the right one to win, but who's to know," said Barbara George, a Wake County voter. "It's going to be pins and needles tonight."

Results are always unofficial in the first days after Election Day while counties certify results during a canvas period, although officials estimate results from 98% of ballots cast will be available Tuesday night.

3 p.m.: Gov. Roy Cooper will greet voters this afternoon at Raleigh polling sites at Springmoor Retirement Community, 1500 Sawmill Road, and Sertoma Arts Center, 1400 W. Millbrook Road.

2:30 p.m.: Buncombe County continued to set records on Election Day, with a voter turnout topping 21,000 people as of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Corinne Duncan, Buncombe County's elections director, said that number is bigger than it was at 2:30 p.m. on Election Day in 2020.

"I'm hoping that doubles today," Duncan said. "We need about 50,000 voters today to reach the record total turnout of 2020, and for Buncombe, that was 78%."

12:30 p.m.: Lines were short at Green Road Community Center in Raleigh, where DJ Smooth was entertaining voters with tunes. It's part of the nationwide DJs at the Polls movement, which started in 2008 to make Election Day more fun.

Voters at the polling site said things went smoothly.

"It felt pretty good," said Demitrius Chissom. "You know, the line wasn't long. I thought it was going to be wrapped around the building. Today was a good day, it was a good voting experience."

11 a.m.: The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) held an Election Day update at 11 a.m., when NCSBE director Karen Brinson Bell said she is unaware of any disruptions, incidents or delays that would extend voting past 7:30 p.m.

There have been no reports of long lines or issues at the state's more than 2,600 polling places, Bell said. A few polling sites opened slightly later than 6:30 a.m., but no voters were turned away, she said. If issues arise, the board will call a meeting to discuss extending voting at impacted sites.

Bell also reminded voters that results are always unofficial in the first days after Election Day while counties certify results during a canvas period, although officials estimate results from 98% of ballots cast will be available Tuesday night.

John Chavis Community Center in Raleigh
Voters line up outside the John Chavis Community Center in Raleigh on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024. (© WRAL)

Responding to a question about voter patience and voters' confidence that their vote will be counted fairly, Bell said: "I hope that everyone will have patience in knowing that tonight we are going to put forward the results of at least 4.5 million votes that have been cast and potentially another 1 million or more that were cast today. That's not instant, and we are always very clear that the results are unofficial on election night ... It's North Carolina, we're likely to have some close contests."

10:30 a.m.: In an Election Day update from western North Carolina, 11,157 people have already cast their vote in Buncombe County. All sites opened on time and have experienced no issues, according to Corinne Duncan, Buncombe County's elections director. Buncombe County will hold updates on voter turnout throughout the day.

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10:15 a.m.: Attorney General Josh Stein, candidate for governor, greeted voters at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh on Election Day. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson began greeting voters at polling locations in Alamance, Durham, Guilford, Orange and Wake counties.

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9:30 a.m.: Lines appear to be getting shorter at many voting places in the Triangle. At 9:30 a.m., there was no line at the John Brown Community Center in Apex, where people started lining up at 5:30 a.m. The line moved quickly! At Herbert C. Young Community Center in Cary, there was a line at 6:30 a.m., but lines moved quickly with no issues.

7:30 a.m.: A dense fog advisory remains in effect for the Triangle and several other counties until 10 a.m. Be careful heading to the polls!

6:30 a.m.: Polls opened at more than 2,650 polling places across the state. Lines were already forming outside the Brown Community Center, a polling site in Apex.

Election Day to determine neck-and-neck presidential race

North Carolina set a record during the early voting period, with nearly 4.5 million voters, or 57% of the state's registered voters, casting a ballot before Election Day.

Karen Brinson Bell, director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), shared updates for voters during a Monday news conference, saying officials expect at least one million more votes to be cast Tuesday on Election Day.

North Carolina’s results will be closely watched nationally because of its status as a battleground state — one where voters could play a deciding role in who controls the White House and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Data show some unusual patterns for early voter turnout this year, with early voters more likely to be Republican and more likely to be white than in past years.

Overall, of the nearly 4.5 million who voted, the highest number were unaffiliated voters, largely because unaffiliated voters substantially outnumber Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina.

Looking at what percentage of each party has already voted, Republicans top the list, with 63% of all registered Republicans in North Carolina already casting a ballot compared with 59% of Democrats and 50% of unaffiliated voters, according to state data. In the past, more Republicans have waited to vote on Election Day.

On Monday, Bell said she will be interested to see who shows up at the polls.

"This election is not decided," Bell said. "Just because 57% of North Carolinians already participated, we saw 75% turnout in 2020, so there's still a lot of voters who can come out to vote and know that your voice will be heard and that your vote will be counted."

Looking at race and gender, 62% of white voters voted early compared to 51% of Black voters. Additionally, 60% of women have already voted compared to 56% of men.

You can stay up to date on the latest 2024 election polls at realclearpolling.com.

Polls open at 6:30 a.m.

Polls open Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to vote. Voters can only vote at their assigned polling place. Bring a photo ID.

As a security precaution, the NCSBE has moved its operations to the State Emergency Operations Center for Election Day, just like in 2020. On Monday, Bell asked campaigners and voters to please remain civil and respectful of each other at the polls on Tuesday.

Apart from some long lines, Bell said the NCSBE is not experiencing problems at the polls more than during other presidential elections, but staff will be prepared in case issues arise.

Bell said after the unrest seen in other states in the wake of the 2020 election, many county election boards here have added extra security measures like bulletproof glass and panic buttons. Bell said the NCSBE is working with local and state law enforcement to prepare for any similar problems, and they'll be watching closely for voter intimidation outside the polls.

Campaigners are allowed to approach voters to ask them to vote for their candidate, but a campaigner cannot question a voter about their eligibility to vote or interfere with their ability to cast a ballot.

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The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office and 5 On Your Side are also warning voters about potential Election Day scams.

Here are some key warnings to keep in mind, according to the North Carolina Department of Justice:

Watch for fake closing notices: Scammers may call or text with false claims that polls are closed or that your vote isn’t needed. Remember, polling hours in North Carolina are set, and every vote counts.

Voting cannot be done by text or email: Scammers may try to convince you that you can vote or register by text or email. Voting is only in-person or via a pre-requested absentee ballot delivered to the county elections office.

Click here for more information about potential Election Day scams.

© WRAL

Here’s what you need to know if you’re voting in person on Election Day.

Voter ID required in North Carolina

No matter when you vote, you will need to show a driver’s license or another approved form of photo ID to vote in North Carolina in 2024, unless you qualify for an exemption or live in one of the counties under emergency natural disaster orders.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections has published a list of dozens of acceptable forms of ID, including many school and college IDs, military or veterans photo ID or tribal enrollment cards with photo.

Voters living in counties under an emergency declaration for Helene will receive an automatic exemption from the state’s new voter photo identification rules.

Who can legally vote?

All citizens of the United States who will be 18 years old by Election Day, and who aren’t currently on probation, parole or post-release supervision for a felony, are eligible to vote in their home county.

Voters must be registered, before Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

North Carolina takes several steps to verify that those who show up to vote are legally able to do so. First, a voter’s name and address are compared to registration rolls. Second, voters will be asked to show an approved form of photo identification.

What are voting hours?

Polls are open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and everyone in line by 7:30 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.

Where is my polling place?

North Carolina voters are assigned to polling places on Election Day. Outside of specific Hurricane Helene-impacted counties, voters must vote at their designated polling place on Election Day.

Voters can look up their polling places online by entering their name, date of birth and county of residents in the NC Voter Lookup tool.

How can I get to my polling site if I don't have a car?

If you need a ride to the polls, the City of Raleigh is waiving fees for city buses. Everyone can ride free on city buses Tuesday. To see bus routes and schedules, go to raleighnc.gov.

GoRaleigh is also offering free bus rides Tuesday. To see bus routes and schedules, visit goraleigh.org.

Uber and Lyft are also offering 50% off rides to voting sites. Click the "Go Vote!" button in the Uber app; go to the "suggestions" tab and click "see all." Use the code "VOTE24" on the Lyft app for half off rideshare, bikeshare or scooter rides.

Can I change my vote if I voted early?

No. Once you put your ballot in the machine during early voting or once you have mailed a ballot, it is considered cast.

If you voted early or mailed in a vote, you are finished. There are no do-overs.

If you go to vote and start filling out your ballot but make a mistake, however, you don’t have to finish that ballot. You can ask a worker at the polling place to start over with a new ballot. The first one you started filling out won’t be counted.

If you suspect a poll worker made a mistake, such as giving you the wrong ballot, alert an election official at the precinct.

Are ballots cast by dead voters counted?

No. A voter must be alive on Election Day for their vote to count.

The county boards of elections review death notices and other official sources to compare them to voter rolls. They remove any ballots cast early or by mail for voters who die before Election Day. Those votes are not counted.

When are mail-in ballots due?

In the 2024 general election, there is not a grace period for mail-in ballots. All ballots must be received at county boards of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5, to count.

The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing ballots at least one week before Election Day to be sure they arrive in time.

Mail-in ballots can also be dropped off in person on Election Day at your county board of elections. You can’t drop off a mail-in ballot at a polling place on Election Day — just the local elections office.

When are mail-in and early votes counted?

Ballots cast during early voting, as well as mail-in ballots, aren’t counted until Election Day — and results aren’t announced until after polls close, so that they don’t potentially influence people’s decision on whether to vote or not.

When will votes be final?

Nearly all votes will likely have been counted within hours of polls closing Tuesday night. Results on election night are unofficial, however.

Individual counties are in charge of counting their votes and then reporting that data to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, which then makes that data available to the public.

Based on the number of votes cast and the margin of difference, many races may be “called” and a winner declared on election night. A recount be requested in any race decided by less than 1% for local races, or 0.5% for statewide races.

No results are official until they are certified 10 days after Election Day.

During those 10 days, county elections officials research provisional ballots to determine whether they should be counted to add to the total. They audit the results, conduct any recounts, review ballots that could not be read by tabulation machines and double-check that all machines were working correctly.

Who is allowed to observe inside polling places?

Before Election Day, the political parties appoint official “observers” who are allowed inside the polling places to make sure the process runs smoothly. Those observers can take notes but they are banned from interfering with any individual voter.

The State Board of Elections posts a long list of what poll observers can and can’t do.

What are people handing out outside the polling place? Is that legal?

Anyone has the right to watch or monitor the election from outside the voting place. Any political activity — like handing out sample ballots or posting signs in favor of a candidate or party — must remain outside the buffer zone, which typically extends 50 feet from the entrance of the voting place.

Outside that buffer zone, people or the candidates themselves can approach voters in line and engage with them, including suggesting candidates and offering supporting materials.

What if I have questions while at the polling place?

For those with physical disabilities, curbside voting is available at every polling place. Look for the signs, pull up and someone will come to assist you

Inside the polling place, voters can take questions or concerns to any election official. Election officials are authorized and required to call law enforcement if they are aware of threatening behavior toward voters or workers.

Some private groups also have teams who will be at polling locations to help answer questions — or to advocate for voters if they believe the poll workers are wrong about something.

How can I report voting irregularities?

Voters who see something not quite right should first report their concern to officials at their polling place. They can also submit the state’s official Election Law Complaint Form (PDF).

You can also contact WRAL with questions by sending a tip to voterfeedback@jshu.net.

Why did I get asked to use a provisional ballot?

If you arrive at the wrong polling place, forget your photo ID or there are other questions about your eligibility to vote, you may be asked to vote a “provisional ballot.”

Provisional ballots aren’t counted immediately. Elections officials hold onto them to research questions about a voter’s eligibility. Those found to be valid are then added to the total count and included when results are final and certified, 10 days after Election Day.

Is it a crime to steal or vandalize campaign signs?

Removing or stealing a political sign is a crime. Political campaign signs are generally considered personal property both when placed on private property and when lawfully placed in public places, which means removing one is considered theft.

In North Carolina, it is legal for political signs to be posted in the right-of-way of state highways between 30 days before the start of early voting and 10 days after Election Day.

How do people become poll workers?

The people who operate the polls during early voting and on Election Day are generally volunteers. Any registered voter can apply.

They set up voting equipment, check in voters, process ballots, assist voters with special needs and close and secure the voting site at the end of the day.

Precinct officials may not be a candidate or relative of a candidate in the election. They also may not be an elected government official, hold office with a political party, or be a manager or treasurer for a candidate or political party. They also may not serve at the same polling place as a spouse, child, spouse of a child, sister or brother.

How do people become poll watchers?

Poll watchers, sometimes referred to as "election observers," are individuals assigned by a political party to watch over the voting process inside a polling site.

Members of the public can’t appoint themselves to be “election observers;” they aren’t allowed to enter a voting site for the purpose of observing the election.

Election observers are prohibited from interfering with voters or the voting process.

Who counts votes in NC? How are votes counted in NC?

When you vote in person or by mail, your ballot is counted by a machine and the data stored on a memory card inside the machine. None of these machines is connected to the internet.

All counties use paper ballots, which provides an added layer protection against fraud — since the results from the machines can be compared to what’s on the ballots themselves if there are questions about the results. Most counties have voters fill out ballots by hand. Some counties use other methods, such as touchscreens. But even the touchscreens create paper ballots that can be reviewed.

After the polls close, each polling place delivers its memory cards and paper ballots to county boards of elections, which records the totals for each race and reports them to the State Board of Elections.

What changes were made after Hurricane Helene to ensure displaced people can vote?

State lawmakers authorized a number of changes to election rules that will apply only to the 25 counties in western North Carolina under emergency orders after Hurricane Helene. The changes mostly deal with voting by mail and with polling place workers and observers.

People in those counties have additional time to request a mail-in ballot — until Monday at 5 p.m., and they can go to their county election office, request a ballot, vote and return it there.

Voters in the 25 affected counties can return mail-in ballots to any county board of elections office in the state or to the State Board of Elections in Raleigh — options not open to voters who live in the rest of the state, and approved in recognition of the thousands who have been displaced from their homes.

While photo identification is required to vote for most, those who live in the Helene-affected counties won’t be required to show ID. They can show it if they want, but state law includes an automatic exemption from voter ID laws for people living in places hit by a disaster shortly before an election. Those who don’t have an ID can fill out a form and cast a provisional ballot

Local elections officials in the western counties also have additional flexibility to move poll workers from precinct to precinct on Election Day, and to transfer voters to new precinct locations, especially where polling places were destroyed or damaged in the storm or where they are inaccessible or without power by Election Day.

Voters in western North Carolina should check the state’s online voter lookup tool before heading to their polling place to make sure they know where to vote.

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